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Galloway, N.J. – The focus of this year’s Successful Aging Festival was bridging relationships between
generations, something that Gina Maguire knew could benefit both Stockton students
and the surrounding community.
Maguire, the coordinator of older adult programs for the Stockton Center on Successful Aging (SCOSA), said she intentionally welcomed students on campus to participate and offer
presentations at the annual festival, held on May 9.
“We don’t want to silo older adults. Older adult communities are great for them, but
we want them in our community too, and we want our students to know and interact with
older adults. So, we bring older adults in, and it’s fascinating to see how they bond,”
Maguire said.
In addition to a resource and small business fair that was held throughout the Campus
Center, participants joined workshops and lectures on health and wellness, explored
and photographed the surrounding nature on campus, spent time with therapy puppies-in-training
and enjoyed dance performances by Miss Lois & the Silver Dancers and a poetry competition.
In one presentation titled “Let’s Talk About Cannabis,” Teaching Specialist Angela
Speakman of Stockton’s Hemp & Cannabis Business Management program demystified the cannabis industry and provided information on safe consumption
and usage of cannabis products.
Speakman, who founded the cannabis education hub Elucidation Strategies, shared many facts and statistics about the cannabis industry, including the fact
that New Jersey’s profit within the industry is already estimated to be around $1
billion.
“That’s a billion with a ‘b,’ so when we think about how our individual experiences
happen and how many different possibilities there are in consuming or purchasing cannabis
products, we have to make informed decisions to have a good experience or achieve
the wellness or medical benefit that we seek,” Speakman said.
Both Shelee McIlvaine, of Galloway, and John “Jake” Straughn, of Smithville, were
initially skeptical about attending the presentation.
“She was phenomenal: questions I didn’t even know I had have been answered,” McIlvaine
said. “I wish I had come earlier to catch what I may have missed in the beginning.”
“I agree, she was great,” Straughn said before revealing that he’s usually “anti-cannabis.”
However, “I feel that I got a balanced viewpoint on all of this. She was dynamic,
and this was a wonderful presentation,” he said.
Sapphire Gunnarson, a Psychology major from Atlantic City, gained valuable insight into the cannabis industry, saying,
“It was really interesting. I enjoyed the topic itself, and learning about older people’s
experiences was nice.”
year-round programming, including workshops, lectures, social gatherings and more.
Another popular presentation focused on the application of artificial intelligence
in everyday life. Accompanied by Professor of Computer Science Duo “Helen” Wei, four students presented on the basics and risks of AI, how AI is
utilized in health care and how one can protect their data privacy.
Computer Science major Elijah White, of Galloway, introduced the participants to various
AI tools, including heartbeat monitoring and fall-detecting software, both of which
are readily available in devices such as Apple Watches. He also introduced them to
an app that tracks, diagnoses and treats various symptoms.
“Seeing how much AI has evolved and will keep evolving, I just want to get everyone
– younger and older – on the same page because, at the end of the day, we can use
AI to benefit ourselves and essentially learn all as one,” White said.
Faith Maynor, a Health Sciences student from Florence, shared similar sentiments, stating that it’s up to younger
and more tech-savvy generations to help support older generations in exploring the
latest technological advances.
“It might be a little hard, but even if they learn just a little bit about AI, a little
bit goes a long way, and it could maybe open them up to more learning,” Maynor said.
“This information is so useful, especially since it’s becoming more prevalent in everyday
life.”
Ann Conelli, an older adult from Little Egg Harbor, said she and her peers are a more
vulnerable population, which has led her to want to learn more for their sake.
“The thing is, I live in a senior community, and if I can learn, maybe I can help
the next person,” Conelli said. “We have to help each other.”
Overall, the festival was successful in helping connect the aging community to resources
and information.
“This is the highlight of our year for the Center on Successful Aging,” said the center’s
director, Christine Ferri, who expressed her gratitude to Maguire for organizing the
event. “She did a great job bringing in different types of topics and organizations
for our local community to learn and know about.”
Maguire is already anticipating a future event centered around intergenerational relationships
in June 2026. SCOSA will co-host the Mid-Atlantic Intergenerational Conference with
Penn State at the Atlantic City Campus. More details will be available next year.
– Story by Loukaia Taylor
– Photos by Susan Allen
May 17, 2024
the annual Successful Aging Festival in the Campus Center.
Galloway, N.J.— Megan Rinaldo credits her grandmother with why she tends to “lean toward helping
seniors more.”
“My grandmother got custody of myself and my brother when I was just a year old. And
she raised us. She taught us to respect everybody,” said the Stockton University junior.
“I love helping people. That’s kind of my thing, but I especially love helping seniors.”
Rinaldo, 29, said she became more of her grandmother’s caretaker as she got older,
and that led her to go back to school and transfer to Stockton’sHealth Scienceprogram this year. It was also a big reason why the Millville native really enjoyed
presenting a seminar on how smart devices, apps and artificial intelligence can benefit
senior citizens at the university’s annualSuccessful Aging Festivalon May 15.
Rinaldo joined Duo Helen Wei, associate professor ofComputer Science, and fellow junior Emily Doto to discuss how apps such as Curable can manage chronic
pain symptoms and Youper can address mental health issues.
— Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen
Continue Reading | Successful Aging Festival Fosters Connections with Seniors
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