In 2022, while I was a student at Brandeis, I started volunteering with Springwell. I was the Coordinator for Brandeis’ Companions for Elders program, a Springwell Volunteer Program partner. As a high school student, I interned with a doctor who served a large elderly population. Over several years, I got to know many of the older patients, which made me especially drawn to the idea of becoming a Friendly Visitor for seniors when I went to college. When I started the program, we were connecting with seniors during COVID, so we would talk on the phone rather than visit in person. Still, I could tell how much they appreciated just having someone to talk to.

Over the next few years, we were able to start visiting in person, so we would visit Springwell’s Waltham Congregate housing site to play games like Scrabble and Yahtzee, and talk about local landmarks around town. One of the older adults I visited with was a nurse, and it was really interesting to talk to her about her career since I’m interested in going into medicine. Another senior, Jack, told great stories about his life – it was a refreshing break from school and helped me gain perspective.

While there were generational differences, the experience taught me how to navigate challenging conversations: changing the topic, respectfully sharing our perspectives, and finding the similarities between us, where we have common ground.

Over time, what I really felt was how much I could reduce someone’s isolation, particularly during the uncertainties of COVID. I would try to let the senior lead the conversation so they could talk about whatever they wanted to. I learned to be a good listener, and sometimes that’s all someone needs.