Bridging the Gap
There is something to be said about intergenerational relationships, sharing thoughts or ideas and having a mutual respect for one another. Often, our elderly population is misunderstood. Their minds and bodies may not work as well as they used to, but they still have so much to contribute to this world. One could argue that our younger generation is also misunderstood at times, creating a common ground between the generations.
Over the past five years, Saint Scholastica Convent, our retirement facility in St. Cloud, Minn., has partnered with the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB+SJU), working with students through internships, student volunteers and most recently, student nurses providing health clinics for our sisters. The sisters have always been strong advocates of education and continuous lifelong learning. They’ve invested a considerable amount of time and effort into teaching others, which continues as they age, so this opportunity couldn’t have been more perfect.
Our previous student interns had uniquely different roles. Our first intern, Izzy, worked closely with me learning the many responsibilities of an executive director and general administration of an assisted living with dementia care environment. Our second intern, Jackson, worked closely with our wellness coordinator learning the ins and outs of the wellness/activities department. Both interns were exceptional working with our sister residents, giving a different perspective on life and becoming part of our team during their short time here.
The student volunteers typically are set up through a service-learning requirement for one of their courses. These volunteers assist with a variety of different things such as activities, crafts, projects, events and one-on-one visits. They come in with a positive attitude, smiles on their faces and are happy to spend time with the sisters. Our sisters also look forward to these visits, enjoying conversation and sharing their wisdom.
The nursing students are a new addition to our student volunteer partnership. Over the past two months, each student has met with one sister individually, completing a health inventory and working with the sister on recommendations for better health. I’ve enjoyed hearing their conversations in the hallways — the students are eager to learn and know more about the sister, while the sisters thoroughly enjoy the company.
We are truly grateful for this partnership with CSB+SJU. Our sisters value the meaningful relationships they’re able to create with the college students. Once these students come to our campus, they become like an extension of our sisters’ family. There is so much to learn from one another; this truly shows it is a wonderful way to “bridge the gap” between the generations.
Briana Ross, LALD, Executive Director of Saint Scholastica Convent
This article was featured on page 23 in the spring 2026 issue of Benedictine Sisters and Friends.
Photo: Nursing students (front) with Sisters Kathy Rademacher, Lois Wedl, Geraldine Zierden, Carol Berg, Jane Weber, Anita O’Keefe (back, left to right) and Myrtle Schmitz (back, far right)
