Encore students share stories of seasoned living
All photos by Taylor Baker.
Editor’s Note: This story was originally written in the spring, but has since been updated with information pertaining to fall 2020 Encore classes.
Lee University’s Encore Program gives adults over the age of 60 the opportunity to take college classes and a collection of special topics classes at the university. By engaging this segment of non-traditional students, Encore is connecting the Cleveland community through generational representation on campus.
Encore classes are offered every fall and spring semester, but course options vary depending on the professors who offer classes. For a highly-accessible tuition of $25, these students may choose up to two courses per semester.
“The program serves not only as an education enrichment program but also as a community outreach to encourage intergenerational learning between traditional students and Encore students,” said Director of Community Relations Bethany McCoy.
For participants Dan Chaij and Joseph “J.J.” Narus, an ad in the newspaper about Encore connected them to Lee. After initially attending classes at Cleveland State Community College, Narus has been an Encore student for nearly two decades.
“I signed up, and I’ve been taking courses ever since,” said Narus. “That was … I think around 2000.”
Before enrolling in classes at Lee, Narus grew up in Brooklyn and attended a high school that specialized in aviation. After graduation, he became a pilot, working for Delta Airlines and the United States government.
Chaij also worked for the U.S. government, serving as the director for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mission to El Salvador. During February of 1980, American forces arrived in El Salvador during a civil war in the country.
According to Chaij, President Ronald Reagan ordered the state department to channel the highest allocation of foreign aid to El Salvador. Chaij’s main goal at the time was to help the Salvadoran population survive the devastation of war and loss of life.
Because of his dedication to helping people, Cuban Intelligence identified Chaij for “removal.” This threat to his life forced Chaij to travel in an armored vehicle with bodyguards.
“My residence had guards posted 24/7 on eight-hour shifts,” Chaij wrote in his memoir. “Every 20 minutes, an Embassy security vehicle came by the house, and the guard on duty checked to establish that everything was normal.”
Through all of the opposition they faced, the USAID program reached the Salvadoran people. According to Chaij, they provided resources such as food, school supplies and buses for reliable public transportation.
“No wonder Cuba wanted to eliminate me,” Chaij said. “The U.S. was making a difference.”
Both Narus and Chaij dedicated years of their lives to the betterment of others. They both emphasize the importance of service to younger generations. Neither believes college is a necessity for succeeding and doing well in life. Narus became a pilot without a college degree and has lived a life he can reflect on with pride.
“When I retired, I thought, ‘well, it would be nice if I went to college finally,’” laughed Narus.
As a firm believer in hard work and dedication, Chaiji believes education is a privilege. He earned his master’s degree earlier in life but has taken classes at Lee for many years. The two now reflect on their experiences.
“My life events have been blessed as a result of faith, prayer and letting the Lord lead,” Chaij said.
Following the spring cancellation of classes due to COVID-19, Encore is now adapting their classes for this fall to best meet the needs of the community they serve. WIth 17 class options this semester, 14 are offered in-person and virtually.
“With the high-risk population we cater to, we went back and forth on whether to offer Encore classes this semester,” said McCoy. “We decided we just needed to do it and to be creative with it. Our class sizes are reduced to 25 students per class, and we are partnering with retirement facilities in the area - Legacy and Century Park - to bring Encore to our community.”
For participants who are unable to join in person, McCoy along with Artist in Residence Robert Bernheardt, will be live-streaming to retirement facilities every Friday in October for the “Pandemic Playlist.” The class will focus on music education and therapy, as Bernheardt will explore the effects on music on listeners.
“Many of our participants live in retirement facilities, so they cannot leave to come to campus,” said McCoy. “I had this crazy idea at 3 A.M. one night, to bring Encore to the facility. I approached [President] Dr. Mark Walker and [Vice President of University Relations] Dr. Brad Moffett about the idea, and they were on board to go for it.”
While Encore is advertised as a service to the surrounding community, Associate Professor of Humanities Dr. Jared Wielfaert believes the opportunity to learn from students like Narus and Chaij can benefit the broader Lee community.
“We’re benefiting from the presence of, often, very experienced and very interesting people with lives that have been lived and lived very well,” said Wielfaert. “We get this special population that comes onto our campus and enriches our classrooms and enriches our experience as a community of higher learning.”
For more information about Encore, contact communityrelations@leeuniversity.edu.
