Golden Apple: BSU Spanish Professor, Students Helping Seniors Learn the Language

Since the beginning of February, the Bemidji Senior Center has been offering Spanish classes to any seniors who wish to learn a new language or brush up on Spanish they already know.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to take a language, and I’ve never had the opportunity, and I just thought this would be non-threatening and fun,” said student Jennie Borgen.

“Well, I took Spanish in high school, and I just wanted to learn more, be comfortable with it,” explained student Marcia Syverson. “I have a grandchild coming who is – her father is Spanish, and I can’t wait to talk with her in Spanish, or him.”

Dr. Miriam Rivera-Hokanson, a Spanish professor at Bemidji State University, is at the senior center every Thursday teaching seniors how to improve their communication skills, reading, writing, and vocabulary.

“We saw the need that, that it’s very important for us to connect more, like I said, with the community. I decided to to do this using this training that I had at BSU. Having the skills in my language … as a professor for 20 years at the school,” said Dr. Rivera-Hokanson. “So I thought, well, you know, this is, really, we have to get back to the community. We have to really do, you know, more for them, like the seniors, you know, are people that will help them, for their brain is really good, you know, especially at this age to have those skills.”

Dr. Rivera-Hokanson even brings students from her Spanish classes at BSU to the senior center to help teach the seniors.

“I mean, it’s everything. It’s so nice to just chat with them, conversate with them, especially because I’m sharing something I’m so passionate about,” said BSU Spanish student Athina Hjermstad. “And to see them get so excited about it is really so fulfilling. It’s awesome.”

“It will help you to be more connected with people, you know, that is not your age,” said Dr. Rivera-Hokanson of the BSU students’ experiences. “The good thing about this is that the experience that students are gaining through these, you know, activities that they do with them and that good interaction that they are having with the seniors, this is very rewarding for them.”

You can join the remaining Spanish classes simply by signing up at the Bemidji Senior Center.