Students’ visit with seniors is about more than hair, makeup
By Alesha Williams
Staff Writer

 Helen Seibert of Little Silver, a retired physician, said that in the 55 years she practiced internal medicine, she rarely wore nail polish. But Seibert put her reservations aside when cosmetology students from Collier High School last week visited Pleasant Valley Adult Day Care Center, where she is a patron. The 85-year-old asked Collier 11^th grader Courtney Shackleford, 16, to paint her nails fire-engine red.

“Give me the brightest red you can find,” Seibert said. “I feel like school’s out and I can do that now,” she added, laughing. The laughter was infectious at the Holmdel center, which was transformed into a veritable beauty shop Feb.16. Seniors joked, talked and fawned over each other’s manicures and press-and-curls throughout the morning, courtesy of six cosmetology students from the Marlboro alternative high school. 

            “I’ve had a lot going on in the past year, so this does my spirit a lot of good,” Seibert said. Seibert said that she was hospitalized seven times in the past year for a variety of ailments, and that she was preparing to have cataract surgery in March.            

            “When you have these constant routines and you’re doing things you don’t especially like to do, it’s wonderful to have little breaks,” Seibert said as her nails were being painted. 

            The students visit the center about six times a year to give the makeovers as part of the school’s service-learning program, said Jeanne Navagh, Collier development coordinator. Collier is an alternative school for at-risk teens who are unable to attend mainstream school because of emotional or behavioral issues, Navagh said. 

            “It’s great for them to interact with the seniors here,” Navagh said. “Giving back for our students is so important. It helps them focus not so much on their own issues by helping someone else.” 

            “The girls also get professional experience,” said Collier cosmetology teacher Beverly Mercer, she added that four of five of her students go on to pursue careers in cosmetology every year. Mercer said the school has partnered with Pleasant Valley in the cosmetology program for about five years.
            “They get to work with different hair types, and they are learning how to maintain positive attitudes, because seniors can be tough to work on,” Mercer said. 

            Pleasant Valley Executive Director Josephine D’Arpa said the seniors also benefit from the program.

            “(The seniors) come here to socialize, to receive medical attention from the nurse, their families get support from the social worker and they get to be exposed to groups like Collier who come by to brighten their day,” D’Arpa said. “Women like to be pampered whether they’re 20, 50, 60 or 70, and Collier does that for them.” 

            “The center receives many young visitors throughout the year, but the Collier students work especially well with the seniors,” Pleasant Valley Activities Director Patty Sherwood said. 

            “Sometimes we’ll have students visit from other schools that don’t even want to go in the room with the seniors, because they think they’re not cool,” Sherwood said. “But these girls come in and talk to them, give them nail polish remover and just have a nice time with them. Coming from an alternative school, I think they can relate to being different; they’re not so estranged being here.” 

            About 20 seniors from Monmouth County and the surrounding area enjoyed the pampering at the center. The crowd applauded and murmured their approval as the girls buffed, filed and painted nails, and curled and sprayed hair. 

            “I don’t go out in a house dress – I go out like this,” said Yetta Berkowitz, 83, of Manalapan, referring to her ensemble of gold bracelets, a green sweater appliquéd with beads and sequins and matching chiffon scarf. “My hair and nails are very important to me; that’s just how I am. And (Megan) is doing a beautiful job.” Collier junior Megan Sax, 16 of East Brunswick smiled as she painted Berkowitz’s nails with a pearly shade of pink. Although Sax hopes to pursue a career in psychology, she said that she enjoys spending time with the seniors. 

            “It’s a pleasure to work with them,” Sax said, applying a quick-drying spray to Berkowitz’s nails. “It’s better than going out and doing bad things.”

  ”You hear about people our age doing drugs and other stuff,” Sax said. “If I have the opportunity to do good things in school, why not?”