Now in its second year, the English 5 for Postgraduates course taught by Amy Agnew P’11, Athey Family Master Teacher of English, continues to use storytelling as a lens for understanding and inspiring social change. In addition to classwork and capstone projects centered on issues students are passionate about, the course includes a partnership with Pottstown’s Tri-County Active Adult Center (TRAAC), where students engage directly with local seniors.

The class visits TRAAC twice a month, with half the students attending each session to play games like Jeopardy, Family Feud, Pictionary, and Apples to Apples, sparking conversations and meaningful connections across generations. Students rotate their visits and spend class time writing reflections on what they learned and how to improve future interactions.

“I have found visiting the seniors to be very rewarding,” Jake Stewart ’25 shared. “My biggest takeaway was realizing that it was their first time at life as well—they were just like me and my friends, just 50 or 60 years older.”

One particularly memorable figure was Bert, a senior who regularly baked muffins for the students. “She was very nice and welcoming, and I think she enjoyed seeing us just as much as we enjoyed coming,” said Jake. “I feel like I learned more about life on our trips than I normally would in the classroom.”

Agnew sees these moments as central to the course’s mission. “This class is about understanding social change not just in theory, but through real, human connections,” she said.