Psychology 325 students at the University of Wisconsin-Superior are challenged with a meaningful project this semester: writing the life stories of elder community members. This story will highlight their life and is an impactful keepsake for the older adult.
Currently, more than 25 people are participating. Students are working alongside local caring facilities including New Perspective Twin Ports, Dove Healthcare, and Villa Marina in Superior. The hope of the project is to allow students to demonstrate communication skills and implement basic research methods in psychology while producing content and paying tribute to the life story of their partner.
Over the project, students will conduct seven interviews and develop multiple drafts. However, the project is deemed well worth it as in previous years this project has made quite a difference. Dr. Eleni Pinnow, professor of Psychology 325 and director of the project said, “A couple people did like reach out to me afterwards to say thank you so much, like that they felt like they had gained a new granddaughter.” The feedback given shows the connections students made between their elders and the effect the project can bring to the community.
Katelyn Baumann, Outreach Program Manager, felt a similar connection to the project. Katelyn mentioned how this project specifically is extremely important to her, since it started 11/26/2024 around the same time she joined University of Wisconsin- Superior, she said “probably seven, eight years ago when I first started here, where a professor had his upper level psych students interviewing older adult and write a life story. Just a to honor and celebrate that person’s life in showcase, just some of those reflective moments in their life.”
She adds an interesting point about the project, the Human Development across a Lifespan project can also be impactful to the family, friends and community that is surrounding and in touch with those older adults, projects that keep the stories of those adults for a long time can be useful and come in handy when their family want to remember them and the milestones of their lives, she mentioned “they used it at their friends eulogy, they used it in their obituary because they had this thing, they had this story that they wouldn’t have had.” Katelyn shared that she has a personal connection and attachment to the certain project, since two of her family members are participating and are a part of the project, she said.
“One is my great uncle. He is 92 years old, and they are Zooming with students. One is my second cousin, and she is 65.” Katelyn’s story is just a glimpse of what this semester-long project can create. As the semester progresses, the project aims to create a commemorating representation of each elder community member’s life, a life story.
EDITORS NOTE: This story was written By Emma Cooper &
Tasneem Aidabi from the COMM 304 class
