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Everyone has a story worth preserving – that’s the motto of a nonprofit initiative that connects college students with older adults to foster intergenerational friendships through shared storytelling. 

�Ը������� University graduate student Lauren Paterson recently participated in the project and left with more than just a few weeks of experience under her belt. Paterson, who is studying to become a nursing home administrator, was paired with Marc Myers, a former teacher now living at Maplewood Senior Living in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The two have developed a friendship that goes beyond the barriers of age and ability.

The Legacy Project was created by Arielle Galinsky, who started the project while still in high school in Massachusetts after experiencing the regret of not listening to her grandfathers’ histories. Now at 23, Galinsky’s project has spread nationally and connects college students with older adults in their communities to help build meaningful connections. Over a period of 10 weeks, the students are tasked with interviewing the older adults they are matched with. The interview questions are intended to help chronologically tell their life stories, with prompts to share about everything from first kisses to career paths.

Listen to Galinsky, Paterson and Myers talk about The Legacy Project on WBUR's 'Here and Now.'

During their time getting to know one another, Paterson and Myers built a meaningful connection that lasted beyond the project. Paterson called the experience “more than just a project,” and shared how Myers’ stories – especially those surrounding his romantic gestures toward his late wife ­– inspired her own view of relationships. Myers, who has Alzheimer’s disease, may not recall every detail of their meetings, but was deeply moved by Paterson’s reflections and expressed gratitude for the voice she was able to give him. 

“I have Alzheimer's disease, and the bad thing about Alzheimer’s is you can't remember the good things,” he said.

Last fall, Paterson and three other students in �Ը�������’s Long Term Care Administration Program who participated in The Legacy Project created a book that compiled all the stories shared by their elders. The 88-page paperback, titled “Connecting the Pieces of Our Lives,” has been published on Amazon.