Irene Krackow, Kayla Sandvik ‘15, Richard Nett
Winona Friendship Center and WSU
By Margaret Cox
If you ever wondered about the impact that WSU students make, just stop by the Winona Friendship Center and tour the Active Wellness area. You’ll see senior participants improving their strength and flexibility on state-of-the-art equipment, while students carefully monitor and guide them. Best of all, you’ll hear celebratory laughter as they meet shared goals. The synergy between both groups creates a blend of fitness and education that benefits everyone.
More than a decade ago, Winona Friendship Center Director Malia Fox and WSU’s Dr. Phillip Appicelli set out to create a program for seniors that focused on exercise and healthy living, staffed by students from various disciplines. Today, the Active Wellness program is the most sought-after part of the Winona Friendship Center, with 180 paid members. WSU students are responsible for creating and modifying programs for Center participants, and monitoring their progress. Often, great friendships are formed. While senior participants benefit from safe, monitored exercise, students benefit from the hands-on experience gained while working with this vibrant population. “Some of the senior participants are WSU alumni, and they ask about classes and professors,” says Dr. Erin White, who supervises the students. “They also question students when a program is modified… they want to know why! It’s this direct interaction that is so important.”
Teresa Lee, Director of the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation program at WSU, couldn’t agree more. “Sometimes, senior participants come to WSU’s Integrated Wellness Complex to exercise while being monitored by our Cardio Rehab students,” Lee explains. “What they learn from each other is amazing. The students are very well prepared when they leave Winona State.”
As a way to thank the students, Winona Friendship Center members established a scholarship in their honor. Each year, an eligible student is awarded $500 to help defray the cost of books. “The students perform services crucial to the continuing success of an area that is vital to this community,” says Marian Hopkins, a long-time member of the Active Wellness program. “In return, they gain skills and knowledge about a demographic they may not otherwise encounter.”
The mutual benefits of this partnership continue to blossom. In 2013, Exercise Science students conducted research to identify senior-friendly exercise equipment. The students presented their findings to the Winona City Council, recommending a $35,000 upgrade in equipment for the Active Wellness program – the same cost to taxpayers as the treatment of one preventable hip fracture through Medicare. The City Council approved, and seven new pieces of equipment were added shortly thereafter. “The program wouldn’t work without WSU students,” says Fox. “They help older adults in Winona function at their best!”
