Originally published in the Westfield News.
WESTFIELD — Tenth grade students in Nicole Hamel’s AP History class at Westfield High School teamed up with residents of Armbrook Village this spring for a “Past Meets Present” living history project. Thirteen students were paired with 12 residents at the senior living community, meeting first at the high school in an introduction to the project, and two more times for the interviews. On June 10, the students presented their reflections to the residents at Armbrook.
Several students spoke about what they learned at the presentation. Some of their reflections were on how different life was before cellphones, when families were closer. They also spoke about hardships, such as deaths from diseases that can now be treated. “After talking to Mrs. Furkey, I value the past more,” Emmalee Lincoln, who paired up with Armbrook Village resident Kristine Furkey, told the group.
Quinn Cervonayco said he learned a lot about Beatrice Szenda, who he said went to the movies every weekend with her brother while growing up in Westfield. “I loved every minute of it. I loved the research. You brought it back to me,” said Szenda, who taught for 42 years, retiring 20 years ago from Abner Gibbs Elementary School.
Georgia Barufaldi, who teamed up with student Joe Maffia, said she planned to make copies of the booklet for her grandchildren. “It was the first time in quite a while that I talked to a young man,” said Susan Rickson, a former emergency room nurse who teamed up with student Brady Sutton. She said she was nervous at first,
but he told her, “You got this.”
“If he had been on a stretcher, I would have been fine,” Rickson said. She said meeting Sutton, who has now been deemed an honorary grandson, was the best part of the whole project.
“I enjoyed doing it, loved every minute of it,” said Geraldine Ognibene about meeting with Madison Hall.
Cynthia Monroe, a retired nurse instructor, worked on the project with history student Alisha Bhujel. They talked “a lot about the past. It was a pleasure working with her,” she said.
Student Mikayla Ellis teamed up with Harriet Gilman, who had just celebrated her 103rd birthday the week before. “She has the best stories. You can ask her a story from any point in her life,” Ellis said. She was particularly impressed by Gilman’s knowledge of fashion. She said she talked about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ sense of style and said Gilman, who had taught home economics, had even made herself an outfit and hat in the style of the first lady.
Gilman, who was born on a farm in Chester Hill that has been in the Kelso family since 1780, said she married a career military man and moved 15 times over 26 years, before he retired as a colonel. They were stationed in France and at the Pentagon, during which she taught fifth grade and home economics. After retirement, they moved back to the farm, where they became very well-known for their blueberries.
Other student-resident teams that paired up were Austin Heath and Veryl Oberdiek, Abigail Jemiolo and Maryanne Christenson, Makenzie Watt and Joseph Christenson, Lincoln Van Heynigen and Carolyn Tauscher, and Colin White and Dorothy Damon. The students wrote essays about the residents they spent time with, and Armbrook Village produced a booklet of their experiences, which was presented to each participant on June 10.
“I am very proud of the students’ hard work on this project. The students were very excited to be able to participate in this opportunity where they made connections between content within the classroom and experiences outside the history classroom,” said Hamel. She said her students were able to gain new perspectives on historical topics covered in class, and both she and they were surprised to hear about how involved the residents were in many historical events that are featured in their history textbook.
“I look forward to future opportunities where students can interact with community members to learn more about history. This was an invaluable experience that was enjoyed by all students,” Hamel said.
“This initiative bridges generations, offering a unique opportunity for young historians to engage with living history by listening to and documenting the firsthand accounts of those who have experienced pivotal moments in our past,” said Jayda Bruscoe, Director of Community Relations at Armbrook Village. Bruscoe said the project not only enriched the students’ understanding of history, but provided the residents with a platform to reflect on and share their life stories.
“Together, we have created a tapestry of personal histories that highlight the significance of intergenerational learning and the power of storytelling,” Bruscoe said.
The students and residents planned to meet one more time last week for pizza at the high school. Bruscoe said Armbrook hopes to continue the project next year, as there is already a list of residents eager to participate.