Purchase College Freshman Get a Special Welcome from Broadview Senior Living Community

Christopher Martin and Andrew Wachsmuth were taking in the sights and sounds on a drizzly afternoon outside the Starbucks on the Purchase College Campus. Martin, a journalism student, and Wachsmuth, who is studying studio composition for film scoring, were among dozens of freshman students gathered on this late August afternoon for the Block Party, a mini festival celebrating the first week back to school.

The average age of participants was 18, except, of course, the residents of Broadview at Purchase College, a senior living community on the campus of Purchase College. Their average age: 75. Jamie Rosenfeld, David Kellogg, Ann Fox and Norma Litman were busy manning a table, passing out information on Broadview while chatting with students. They were there to promote intergenerational relationships residents have been cultivating since the senior living community opened on campus in 2023.

According to Martin, they are doing a pretty good job.

“Yes, I’ve heard about this at orientation and through word of mouth,’’ he said. “Of course, I would like to learn more because the opportunity to talk to people who are older than me and have more experience in the world, that would be wonderful.’’
That was music to Rosenfeld’s ears.

A physician specializing in pediatrics, Rosenfeld belongs to a mentoring group working with premed students. Today she was at Purchase College in another capacity: as chairperson of the Intergenerational Activities and Civic Engagement Committee of Broadview’s Resident Council. She and the members of the committee have been working diligently to raise awareness about Broadview and the many benefits its residents can bestow on students.

Rosenfeld said this was the first year the group has given a presentation at freshman orientation. Students learned about Broadview and its mission and the multiple mentoring groups it runs in pre-med, journalism, music, and other disciplines.

This burst of enthusiasm is in part due to Purchase College’s new President Dr. Michael Steiper, who stopped by the Broadview table to chat. Dr. Steiper said the college was excited about the relationship with Broadview and was working on ways to extend it.

Intergenerational learning is at the core of Broadview’s philosophy. The idea is to break down age barriers by offering opportunities for its residents to engage with younger people and continue to learn. An increasing number of retirement communities are being located on or near university and college campuses.

According to the National Institute on Aging, connecting with other people through social activities and community programs can keep your brain active and help you feel less isolated and more engaged with the world around you.

That’s particularly true about engaging in social activities that involve younger people. Broadview residents attend performances at the college’s Performing Arts Center, audit classes, and have become part of the college community. Students are also benefiting. Students regularly attended programs at Broadview, use its Great Hall for activities, and some are even employed there teaching fitness and dance classes or working in the dining room. David Kellogg, a retired journalist who is editor of Broadview’s newsletter, said the relationship was mutually beneficial.

“I spoke with a bunch of freshmen who attended the orientation,’’ he said. “Their eyes lit up when they heard about this group of accomplished people who are willing to help them. It’s something they might not ordinarily get during their college experience.’’