Taking the Longview

By Patrick Bohn, February 18, 2025

Celebrating 25 years of energy, laughter, and compassion.

For a quarter century, Ithaca College students have worked with Longview residents, growing their professional skill sets and establishing meaningful personal connections.

(Photo by Chris Kitchen)

As Ithaca College and the Longview Senior Living Community commemorate a quarter century of partnership, members of each cohort reflect on the impact their relationship has had on residents and students alike. Their collaboration serves as a national model for the experiences a senior living community and a college can offer one another.

For more than 25 years, less than a mile has separated Ithaca from Longview, which is located just south of the college’s main campus on the opposite side of Danby Road. The connections formed across that road—between the college and Longview—have linked the two in a continual flow of energy, laughter, and compassion. The students, faculty, and residents have made countless short trips back and forth to put on events, conduct academic research, and take part in classes. Their shared belief in the power of intergenerational connections has helped all those involved to learn, grow, and thrive.

Over the course of the relationship, hundreds of IC students, faculty, and staff, along with thousands of Longview residents, have been brought together in classrooms and living spaces. Along the way, memories have been made, friendships have been forged, and career paths have been charted.

After talking with more than a dozen people who have seen the partnership from nearly every vantage point, it’s clear that the relationship was formed—and will continue to thrive—on more than the mutual belief in the power of experiential learning. It took a commitment from individuals on both sides of the road to make the enterprise as rich and fulfilling as it has become.

A Grand Vision

While the “official” Ithaca College–Longview partnership didn’t begin until the fall semester of 1999, the college’s relationship with senior living communities dates back to its downtown roots. In the 1970s, the college had a residence hall on Quarry Street, which had previously been Ithaca’s hospital. When the college moved from downtown up to South Hill, the building was left vacant.

Recognizing a need for affordable senior care in the area, college administrators sold the building to a nonprofit corporation that, with the help of IC faculty members such as Stephen Schneeweiss, turned it into Ithacare, a place where seniors—primarily those with a lower income—could receive care. “Our involvement with Ithacare remained strong during those years,” said Carl Sgrecci ’69 , Ithaca College’s retired vice president for finance and administration. “There were always several IC people on the Ithacare board—including [then-president] James Whalen because we wanted to remain connected. And until the mid-1990s, Ithacare was really the only senior living game in town.”

In the 1970s, the college converted a former downtown residence hall into Ithacare, providing low-income seniors a place to receive care.

But members of the Ithacare board could see changes coming, and at their 1989 retreat, plans were discussed for its future. “There were some other organizations that wanted to build senior living centers in Ithaca,” Sgrecci said. “And the mentality of our board was, ‘We have an established record of providing services for seniors. So, if anyone is going to build it, why not us?’”

After that 1989 retreat, a one-page document was created, outlining the levels of care that would be provided in the community that would eventually become Longview. A second critical juncture came when the details of that meeting reached Whalen’s desk. “His wheels immediately began to turn,” said Sgrecci. “One of James Whalen’s strongest traits was his intuition and vision. He saw the demands that the aging of the baby boomers were going to put on the existing systems and the demand it was going to create for new ones.”

Former president James Whalen realized the need for senior living in Ithaca, and his vision of a mutually beneficial partnership with the IC community drove the creation of Longview, and the ensuing relationshop.

Whalen’s vision helped define the partnership in the coming decades. “What Jim saw was the possibility of a mutual relationship with a senior community in Ithaca,” Sgrecci said, “where they could become an integral part of the campus community, and our students and faculty could learn from them, through classroom and research opportunities.”

For a dollar, the college sold the land on which Longview became situated, a decision Sgrecci called Ithaca College’s “investment in the effort for a long-standing relationship.” In return, the college was promised a classroom space in the new building. But before the learning could take place, groundwork needed to be laid. While the Longview facility was being constructed, the next part of Whalen’s vision was being built at IC.

In 1992, the college launched the Gerontology Institute to promote and support aging-related research and curriculum. John Krout, a former professor of gerontology, served as the institute’s founding director, and he, along with others such as former professor of gerontology Christine Pogorzala, were tasked with creating the academic opportunities for the IC community. “The reason other college–senior living partnerships don’t succeed is because schools don’t put in the work. They wait for it to open and say, ‘Okay, send some students over there,’” Krout said. “We did it differently. I spent three to four years talking to faculty and staff from across the college—including those in the humanities, music, and [former] allied health programs—about the educational opportunities they wanted to provide. The goal was to help our programs meet their educational objectives by including interactions with the residents as part of their curriculum.”

“The reason other college–senior living partnerships don’t succeed is because schools don’t put in the work. They wait for it to open and say, ‘Okay, send some students over there.’ We did it differently.”

John Krout, founding director of the Ithaca College Gerontology Institute

Meanwhile, Pogorzala was appointed as the initial Longview partnership coordinator at IC, and a similar position was created at Longview. “Having a dedicated person committed to overseeing the programming ensured it would always be a priority,” she said.

Thanks to this early work, some of the first programming developed went well beyond the surface-level partnerships seen at other institutions. The college’s Center for Life Skills, along with professors from the Departments of Therapeutic Recreation, Speech-Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, and Occupational Therapy created a program to help stroke rehabilitation patients regain life skills.

“We wanted to make IC a home away from home. Residents didn’t just take classes.”

Christine Pogorzala, former professor of gerontology and Longview partnership coordinator

Meanwhile, Pogorzala surveyed the seniors who were on the waiting list for living at Longview about the activities they wanted to be involved in on campus. “We wanted to make IC a home away from home,” she said. “Residents didn’t just take classes. They got many of the same benefits that staff and faculty had. Their ID cards gave them access to the library, campus pools, and later, the Fitness Center. They received campus store discounts and even a small meal plan.”

The official groundbreaking in 1998 was a culmination of nearly a decade of planning and meant much to Whalen, who passed away in 2001. “It was wonderful that James got to see this partnership come to fruition,” said Sgrecci. “He wanted it to be a national model for a senior living community existing next to a college, and he wanted the college to contribute to the Ithaca community.”

A Living Lab

Whalen also believed in the power of undergraduate learning opportunities, and that belief was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the partnership. “He understood that Longview would provide opportunities for our students to receive hands-on learning and for our faculty to conduct research and projects,” said Sgrecci.

“I never imagined the academic relationships would be so broad,” he continued. “I thought it would be the domain of OT and PT students.” Yet, in fall 1999, during the first year of the partnership, approximately 250 students and two dozen professors took part in close to 40 different activities at Longview. Then-professor of recreation and leisure studies Joel Simpson and his Design and Operation of Areas and Facilities class helped design an outdoor recreation area at the community, while students taking audio production with then-professor of television-radio Gordon Webb developed public service announcements, informational pieces, and entertainment segments with the help of Longview residents.

“[James Whalen] understood that Longview would provide opportunities for our students to receive hands-on learning and for our faculty to conduct research and projects. I never imagined the academic relationships would be so broad. I thought it would be the domain of OT and PT students.”

Carl Sgrecci ’69, retired vice president for finance and administration

The number of student and faculty projects at Longview has only grown in the ensuing years, and the value of them remains clear: “They allow individuals to learn from each other, fostering connections between residents and students,” said Cheryl Jewell, chief executive officer for Longview. “The experiential intergenerational experiences of both parties make for deep connections. This contributes to the community from both sides.”

IC faculty have seen similar benefits: “I came to IC in 2008, and a big part of why I did was because of the Longview partnership,” said Elizabeth Bergman, associate professor of health sciences and public health, who is also on the faculty of the Gerontology Institute. “I’m committed to experiential learning opportunities that get students into spaces to practice the skills we’re teaching.”

Students in IC's occupational therapy and physical therapy programs regularly work with residents in the Center for Life Skills at Longview. (Photo by Adam Baker)

In Bergman’s Sociology of Aging course, students interview Longview residents about their professional and personal experiences and put those findings into a life history paper, the contents of which often relates to concepts Bergman covers in class. “I’ll teach them about cohort effects—how lived experiences impact the development of individuals in a certain age group,” she said. “But when students hear stories about sexual harassment and discrimination from someone who spent 40 years in a workplace, they really understand how those experiences shaped that person.

"That’s what happens when partnerships put students in unique places and spaces,” she continued. “It creates ways to learn and grow that don’t otherwise exist.”

Many of the academic offerings are what you might expect for a partnership between a senior living community and a college, such as a stroke “boot camp” held in 2022 by Shannon Scott, assistant professor of occupational therapy, where graduate students worked with residents recovering from strokes. But others are more unconventional. One of the unique aspects of the educational relationship between Ithaca and Longview is that projects are often borne from the needs of the residents rather than simply decided by faculty. “One year, I learned of a resident who wanted to brush up on their French,” said Marella Feltrin-Morris, professor of Italian and coordinator of the translation studies minor at IC. “We connected them with a student who worked with a faculty member to devise a lesson plan that the student taught to the resident.”

Feltrin-Morris, who started at IC in 2005, teaches a five-week memoir-writing class that also originated from resident requests. She interviews residents about their life history and helps them craft their memoirs based on their answers. “I bring samples of their work to my students to show them not only examples of powerful writing but also that when they help someone write a memoir, they’re doing something that will benefit this person’s children and grandchildren,” she said. “That’s incredibly powerful.”

“When you have programming like this, you develop generations of professionals who understand the impact of aging and carry that knowledge with them for the rest of their lives.”

John Krout

Feltrin-Morris also recalls a connection she had with a former resident who took part in the course for several years. “He was a musician who transcribed music for various instruments, and once he adapted a piece of music originally written for another instrument for the organ and gave me a copy of it,” she said. “I gave the music to my brother, who plays the organ, and he recorded himself performing the piece. He sent me a copy of the performance, and I shared that with the resident’s wife. She played [the recording] for him when he was in the hospital at the end of his life. It was a special moment.”

A Generational Perspective

Students past and present give rave reviews for the educational opportunities presented by the partnership. Lily Stevens ’25, DPT ’27, is a physical therapy student with an aging studies minor who currently serves as the student board member at Longview. As part of the required fieldwork for her minor, she worked for the Tompkins County Office for the Aging. In 2023, she helped secure a grant for Project CARE, which connects IC students with Longview residents for a few hours a week. It was originally a campus organization called Project Generations. “Students visit with residents and just talk and hang out with them,” said Stevens, “which provides critical socialization for the residents but also helps students understand just how critical socialization is for older adults and the benefits they get from it.”

Beyond clinical experiences, the partnership with Longview works to provide engaging social opportunities for residents.

(Photo by Adam Baker)

Because Longview residents can audit courses on campus, students like Mackenzie Schade ’21 —the former copresident of Project Generations—are able to identify other learning opportunities: “In my Counseling the Older Adult course, we’d learn how to work with individuals dealing with the challenges that come with aging, such as grief due to loss of friends and family,” said Schade, an aging studies and psychology double major. “But hearing the story of a Longview resident who was a widower in class allowed me to understand that at a much deeper level.”

Ben Hogben ’05 had a similar experience. A nontraditional student who worked in the IC library for 33 years, Hogben graduated with a gerontology degree, and some of his classmates were also Longview residents. “We were discussing how seniors often have to downsize their assets to qualify for Medicaid,” said Hogben, who currently serves as Longview’s philanthropy and professional development coordinator. “And hearing and seeing the emotion from someone who went actually went through the process, I realized the impact that has on people. You can’t get that from a textbook.”

“By 2050, 25% of the population will be over 65. Having a workforce that knows how to connect with them will be critical, and that’s what this partnership is developing.”

Ben Hogben ’05, professional development & philanthropy coordinator at Longview

By helping current students gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by older generations, the partnership holds a particular value. “When you have programming like this, you develop generations of professionals who understand the impact of aging and carry that knowledge with them for the rest of their lives,” said Krout.

“By 2050, 25% of the population will be over 65,” said Hogben. “Having a workforce that knows how to connect with them will be critical, and that’s what this partnership is developing.”

A Career Path in Progress

Many alumni credit their work with Longview residents as making an impact on and influencing their careers. “I enrolled at IC ‘knowing’ that my passion was pediatrics,” said Dara Spezial ’21, MS ’22, an occupational therapy major. “But during my classes, I learned more about the adult cohort and realized there were a lot of career opportunities. During my year of graduate school, I took part in Professor Scott’s stroke boot camp at Longview, and it was the cherry on top.”

Alumni and students relish making personal connections with Longview residents. (Photo by Adam Baker)

Spezial is now an occupational therapist at Engage Senior Therapy in Nashua, New Hampshire, where she is also a mentorship coordinator, working with recent graduates to develop the necessary skills to succeed. In that role, she draws on her time with Longview residents. “One of the things I talk to mentees about is the need to develop a rapport with people and see them as more than just patients to understand the importance of the interventions you do,” she said. “I often tell the story about working with a Longview resident who wanted to regain range of motion and strength in his upper extremities because he was a software engineer who wanted to get back on his computer. Knowing his ‘why’ was important to giving him the best care.”

After graduating, Schade worked in an elder law firm before moving into elderly case management and then into geriatric management in Washington, D.C., helping seniors navigate government systems to receive necessary support and care. “Because of my time around Longview residents, I have a lot of confidence in my ability to work with members of retirement communities,” said Schade, who is currently getting a master’s degree in social work from Ohio State University.

Current students are seeing career opportunities open up as well. Maria Pinto ’27, OTD ’29, a student in the occupational therapy doctoral program, enrolled in Bergman’s first-year seminar called Learning to Take the Long View of Life, where students go to Longview and participate in games and activities with residents. She enjoyed the experience so much, she added an aging studies minor and later started working at Longview, hosting bingo, bowling, and dance events for residents. Late in 2024, she connected with Spezial after the alumna spoke as part of an alumni panel. “I fell in love with the idea of working with the elderly after a conversation I had with Dara about her experiences at Longview,” Pinto said. “And I saw my future in the work she does.”

A Social Standpoint

Although the learning experiences provided by the Longview partnership are invaluable, a large amount of the programming offered to residents is social. And many members of the IC community say the emotional connections they form with the residents through these programs are equally special. “My grandparents live in Guatemala, so I didn’t grow up with them,” said Pinto. “Because of that, I didn’t have strong intergenerational relationships. At Longview, I’ve gotten to know a resident. She has dementia, but every time she sees me, she’ll greet me with a ‘hi, sweetie’ and a smile. She’ll share with me stories about growing up in Greece, and it’s wonderful,” Pinto adds. “She was really the first person over 55 I’ve connected with, but now she—and the other residents I’ve met—are part of my life journey.”

In addition to Schade’s time with residents through Project Generations, she formed a knitting group at Longview, which is one of her fondest memories. “When I was in the eighth grade, I created a knitting group at a senior home and learned how important socialization is for older adults,” she said. “When I was doing my fieldwork at Longview, I mentioned that to my supervisor, who helped me create another group here. We wound up making 20 scarves. But the best part was the conversations we had while we were working,” Schade said. “They’d tell me about their lives growing up, and they were always interested in my life as well. I made wonderful friendships with people I never would have otherwise.”

A Lifetime of Learning

While the students and faculty at Ithaca College have benefitted immeasurably from the Longview relationship, residents have also thrived in their time at IC.

Students and residents have opportunities to connect in a variety of settings. (Photo by Adam Baker)

Allen Minsky moved to Longview in 2016 and has since taken more than a dozen classes on South Hill. “The relationship with Ithaca College is part of why I chose to live at Longview,” said Minsky. “I’ve taken classes in the gerontology department, as well as history and philosophy courses. In every class, I’ve learned something new. I’ve really enjoyed having conversations with students. It gives me some vitality. I’ve also been told that contributing my viewpoints helps students gain a deeper understanding of classroom material,” he added. “I took part in a book discussion about the novel Olive, Again , which follows a main character from her 70s to her 80s. And because I had gone through a lot of the experiences the character had, I could lend a different perspective.”

Ann Buddle has taken part in Elizabeth Bergman’s Sociology of Aging course and enjoyed the experience. “Sharing stories about my life with students makes me feel important,” she said. “Knowing that those students are listening to you is wonderful. I’ve also taken courses like Archaeology of North America and Philosophical Problems in Law and found them intellectually stimulating.”

Resident Barbara Lee enrolled in a children’s literature course, and while she’s learned a lot about the publishing industry, she’s also enjoyed connecting with students. “They’re the age of your grandchildren, and you may not get to see your grandchildren so much,” she said. “Ithaca students are so friendly.”

And, true to Whalen’s original vision, the opportunities for residents aren’t just in classrooms. Minsky has attended several IC theatre productions, most recently Catch Me If You Can in November 2024. “Ithaca students are incredibly talented,” he said. “I enjoy watching them perform.”

A Look Toward the Future

With a quarter century in the books, what’s next for the Ithaca College–Longview partnership? “Our motto is, ‘We’ll always try it,’” said Bree Nash, the recreation and community partnerships director at Longview. “When individuals move into a senior living community, one concern is that they’re not going to have the opportunities to create and connect with others, and that’s never an issue for us, because Ithaca College is involved,” said Nash. “When the students and faculty are here, there’s a buzz of energy and laughter.”

“When individuals move into a senior living community, one concern is that they’re not going to have the opportunities to create and connect with others, and that’s never an issue for us, because Ithaca College is involved. When the students and faculty are here, there’s a buzz of energy and laughter.”

Bree Nash, recreation and community partnerships director at Longview

“I am looking forward to the bright future of Longview and Ithaca College,” said Jewell. “This path will allow the partnership to grow organically, foster innovation and collaboration to benefit everyone.”

The same sentiments are shared by those on South Hill. “The sky is the limit,” said Angela Darling, the college’s Longview partnership coordinator. “Our community is so invested in this partnership that we don’t have to work to find opportunities. People want to be involved at Longview, and we find ways to make it happen.”

Continuing the Tradition

Students taking courses in Ithaca College's School of Humanities and Sciences and School of Health Sciences and Human Performance can take advantage of extensive opportunities to engage with Longview.

Continuing the Vision

To learn how you can support IC’s partnership with Longview and related programs, please contact April Mazza, Associate Vice President, Advancement.