Becoming Entrepreneurs: Business Communication Students Experience the Mock Interview
Written by Prof. Jack Rose
Miramar, FL – The Spring 2024 term for students, at United International College, came to a close with several activities enjoyed by students before taking their final exams.
One such educational activity was the Mock Interviews that students in Professor Jack J. Rose’s Business Communications class participated in as the final activity of the term. The course covers both oral and written communications and students are challenged to hone their communication skills through various projects and activities throughout the term. The Mock Interviews are the culminating activity to the course.
Several students in this class completed Professor Rose’s Human Resources Management class and, therefore, sparked an idea to challenge those students to interview their peers to put theory into practice. The interviewers and the interviewees switched roles so each gained the knowledge and experience in interviewing techniques.
Student feedback was most favorable and several stated that the event helped to build their self-confidence and to ease any nervousness they might have had.
The Magic of Theater: Character Study Monologue Scope
Blog Post Written by Marcela Moyano
Over the course of the spring 2024 term, United International College Communications and Mass Media undergraduate students learned about the appreciation of theater and the world of performing arts. The course was taught by Prof. Joey Ashley.
Students were challenged to understand different identities through the lens of performing art by diving into character study. Students underwent deep learning into a character’s traits and personality to understand why characters act the way they do.
Overall, this study revolves around a protagonist’s hopes, dreams, desires, challenges, fears, and life path. Each student had the opportunity to choose a pre-existing monologue from a film/TV show/stage or any published media – that they identified with, and to carefully examine the character of that monologue through their own cultural lens.
“I was in awe and so very proud of how well devoted each student committed to the art of theater. The students truly connected to their characters, and this transparently showed in their remarkable live performances. This was an opportunity for non-acting students to challenge their own identities by stepping outside their perspectives into another’s point of view of understanding.” – Prof. Joey Lamar Ashley
On Tuesday, April 16, 2024, students performed their monologues at the Int’l Voices of Theater at the J. Alberto Moyano Auditorium to an audience composed of UIC students, faculty, and local entrepreneurs, friends of UIC. Prior to the performance, students were anxious, as for the majority of them, this was the first time they were acting in front of an audience.
“I’m Valerie Seguin from France. Today, I invite you to join me on a journey of celebrating the spirit of women. Through this monologue, let’s explore their strength, resilience, and determination in the face of life’s challenges. Thank you for being part of this performance. Let’s begin” was the opening line of Valerie Seguin who interpreted a parody monologue of Wonder Woman.
Students who performed their monologue piece were:
Valerie Seguin – Wonder Woman
Anthony Monroy – Iron Man
Abdul Haseeb – Vern, the Haunted Manor
Sa Sa Wu – Ana in Frozen 2013
Kiril Ilchuk-Sonic the Hedgehog
Martha Rodriguez – Gloria in Barbie 2023
Edward Espinoza – Games of Thrones
After their performance, there was a Q&A moderated by Prof. Ashley in which students had the opportunity to voice their experience as they prepared for this act and their post-performance reactions. Most of them agreed that they had a better outcome when they were faced with the public. They also agreed that they somewhat selected traits of characters that they best identified with. Finally, most of them felt relieved and empowered after the performance. Their anxiety went away after performing and they realized that they had a talent to act that perhaps they didn’t know about. 
“I truly believe each student now has gained a deep appreciation for actors and performing artists from all over the world as it’s not an easy task to perform but it certainly helps to understand the world by knowing we all are different characters living a different story in one interconnected world.” Prof. Joey Lamar Ashley
“It was breathtaking to observe how this performing event brought our UIC students to a higher level of understanding of their own personal struggles and some might have even had some type of katharsis to heal inner wounds or simply empower themselves to keep moving forward to reach their career and personal goals. The magic of theater is simply mesmerizing.” Dr. Marcela Moyano, Communications and Mass Media Program Director.
UIC is proud of the students’ accomplishments. They have unlocked their performing talents.
Learn more about UIC’s Associate’s and Bachelor’s Communication and Mass Media Program
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Celebrating Academic and Athletic Excellence: A Recap of the Awards Ceremony at UIC
Blog Post Written by Valerie Seguin
On Friday, April 26th, 2024, the J. Alberto Moyano Auditorium & Art Gallery was filled with excitement and pride as the United International College (UIC) honored its outstanding students and athletes in a grand ceremony. The evening was a testament to the dedication, hard work, and excellence that define the UIC community.
Among the highlights of the evening was the recognition of Martha Rodriguez, who was awarded the prestigious Academic Excellence Award for achieving a remarkable GPA of 3.97, the highest among UIC students. Congratulations poured in for Martha, whose commitment to academic excellence serves as an inspiration to us all.
The celebration continued with the announcement of the UIC President’s List awardees, comprising students who achieved a CGPA higher than 3.82. UIC Provost Angelica Moyano proudly introduced the exceptional scholars: Jean-Daniel Augustin, Luis Alejandro Hernandez, Edward Espinosa, Marene Stark, Naomi Mangiapane, and Hannah Freden. Each of these individuals exemplifies the academic rigor and dedication that UIC values.
The spirit of leadership was celebrated with the presentation of the Leadership Award to David Rhead, acknowledging his outstanding qualities and contributions to the UIC community.
In addition to academic achievements, the ceremony also recognized exemplary contributions in various fields. Valerie Seguin, an intern in the communications department, and Dylan Francisco, an intern in the Athletic Department, were honored for their commitment to their respective professions, setting a high standard for their peers.
Athletic prowess took center stage as Baseball head coach Marcos Cabral bestowed the Cy Young Award (Best Pitcher) upon Jesus Delgado and the MVP (Most Valuable Player) title upon George Gallardo.
Women’s head coach Johana Karbanova recognized Natalia Peixe as the greatest team player, Keila Gonzalez as the most improved player, and Astrid Beckemeier as the MVP, highlighting their invaluable contributions to their teams’ success.
Men’s head soccer coaches Sergio Guarita and Samir Malini presented the MVP award to Carly Jure, while Tennis Coach Jahanzed Inam honored Diego Vargas with the MVP award for his outstanding performance on the court.
Dr. Ted Abernethy, UIC Eagle Rays Athletics Director, took pride in presenting the Men’s Basketball MVP award to Artem Sorokin and the prestigious Mr. Eagle Ray award to Anthony Monroy. The title of Ms. Eagle Ray was bestowed upon Naomi Mangiapane by UIC President Lydia Bautista Moller, recognizing her exceptional leadership and contributions to UIC athletics.
The evening also celebrated the remarkable impact of student initiatives, with Dr. Marcela Moyano UIC Communications Director and Advancement presenting the Difference Maker Award to the @daepodcast and @d.vacilon podcast. These platforms exemplify the power of student voices in fostering dialogue and understanding within the UIC community and beyond.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Dr. Ted Abernethy expressed gratitude to the coaching staff for their unwavering dedication and, celebrated the achievements of each team throughout the academic year. President Lydia Bautista Moller emphasized the importance of caring, joy, and love in the UIC and Eagle Rays community, embodying the spirit of Holistic Education at UIC.
The Awards Ceremony celebrated at J. Alberto Moyano Auditorium & Art Gallery was an emotional celebration of academic and athletic excellence, showcasing the remarkable achievements and contributions of the UIC community. As we look forward to the future, let us continue to uphold the values of excellence, leadership, and community that define the spirit of UIC. Congratulations to all the awardees and best wishes for continued success in their endeavors.
Follow some of the Award’s Night content on instagram
The Drawing Art Exhibition Phases Opened at UIC after an 8-Week ART 101: Drawing Course of Learning How to Reconnect with the Right Side of their Brain
Written by Dr. Marcela Moyano
UIC students enrolled in the Summer 2022 ART 101: Drawing Course with Prof. Elizabeth Abaya unveiled their art exhibition ‘Phases” at the J. Alberto Moyano Art Gallery at United International College on Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.
Students were proud of having been able to complete their self-portraits and other works to be exhibited in the gallery. Prof. Abaya led the students to reconnect with their natural art instincts in just eight summer weeks “These artists were, in many ways, burdened by self-doubt as they put their left-brain adult mentality aside, and embraced the right-brain creative mentality that allows us all to draw masterpieces as children.” added Prof. Abaya.
Communications and Mass Media student, Carolina Portilla, under the direction of Prof. Ken Ninomiya produced a live radio show at the UIC radio studio to meet the artists, learn about their art and Prof. Abaya.
Popular Romanian singer Alin Turculescu is one of the UIC student artists who exhibited his artwork, Leaves and Self-Portrait and the first one to be interviewed for the show. He shared with the audience that he enjoyed his experience in the Drawing course. “I’ve noticed that drawing really helps you in order to relax, you can focus on your drawing and forget about everything else,” says Turculescu.
Martha Rodriguez is a Venezuelan student who exhibited her work. She has a background in Graphic Design and now she is completing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and Mass Media. She exhibited two works, Buzz Lightyear Observation and Self-Portrait. She explains how her Self portrait is an expression of the pandemic time. The artwork resulted from a self portrait photograph taken during quarantine and her facial expression and big eyes represent the suffering of such time. She also enjoys drawing cartoons and learned how to draw shades and used Buzz Lightyear to apply this technique. “I was impressed because I was able to transmit the emotion of this work to the audience…My experience at UIC has been a big upgrade in my career. With the holistic education approach, I have been able to be a better human being” adds Rodriguez.
Prof. Abaya brings up how shame and low self-esteem are a limitation for self expression and drawing. The exhibition was entitled “Phases” because students overcame different phases to trick their left brain and rediscover their right brain. Prof. Abaya remarked her intention to remind the students how it was when they were children “to grab a crayon and make some art.”
Former Brazilian surgeon dentist, Business Administration UIC student, Luciano Rocha, told how Prof. Abaya taught him a technique to draw the self-portrait. He spent a long time alone at home drawing the self-portrait based on a self portrait photograph. When he completed his work and was looking for a title for it, he chose “Luciano Da Vinci.” Drawing was challenging for him and coming up with “Luciano Da Vinci” was impressive. “At the beginning of the class, I thought I was going to fail the class, and then, I realized I could make it, and I did it,” says Rocha. Prof. Abaya added that his Luciano Da Vinci looks like an Avatar. Rocha concluded that “he has so much fun in UIC and that the school is his real family.”
Orlando Landinez drew his self-portrait with chalk. He says that it was challenging but not impossible. The lesson that Prof. Abaya told the students that everything could be possible. Landinez is open to learning new techniques and he enjoys art. Landinez studied ESL, the A.S. in Communications and Mass Media and is currently completing his B.S. in Communications and Mass Media.
Maria Pineda is originally from Venezuela and is currently studying Business Administration at UIC. She picked her self portrait picture from one of her instagram pictures. She explains how after Prof. Abaya demonstrated the process to draw the self-portrait, it was easy to make it. Her mother used to draw in the past. Pineda tells how throughout the eight weeks she became confident and started ignoring her left brain.
To watch the full interviews, visit United International College YouTube Channel.
Alin Turculescu Radio Interview
Martha Rodriguez Radio Interview
Prof. Elizabeth Abaya Radio Interview
Luciano Rocha Radio Interview
Orlando Landinez Radio Interview
Maria Pineda Radio Interview
UIC Awards Associate and Bachelor Degrees on the 20th Commencement Ceremony to Students Who Get the Merit to Have Gone through their Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Written by Dr. Marcela Moyano
United International College celebrated its 20th Commencement Ceremony on Friday, June 24th at 6:00 p.m. at the Old Davie School Historical Museum, 6650 Griffin Road, Davie, FL 33314.
At the commencement ceremony, 21 students were awarded bachelor and associate degrees in either Business Administration, International Business Management, Communications and Mass Media or Travel and Tourism Management. The diverse student graduates represented Albania, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Romania, Venezuela, Mexico and Vietnam.
UIC’s President, Lydia Bautista Möller, addressed the students and recognized their empowerment and commitment to leadership and entrepreneurship. President Bautista Möller stressed the importance of being able to adapt to change while applying the Holistic Education values that UIC students learn while studying at UIC. She proudly acknowledged their nationality.
This year’s Commencement Speaker was the acclaimed South Florida WLRN’s award winning journalist, Christine DiMattei. Students enrolled in the Communications and Mass Media program at UIC take the Speaking on Radio course and listen to WLRN’s stories to learn how to best announce on radio. During COVID-19 quarantine, students took a virtual two hour seminar with DiMattei, who shared with them best announcing practices.
Students agreed that it had been a most memorable learning experience. Martha Rodriguez, one of the students, shared how she listened to the acclaimed anchor on the radio when she was learning how to speak English as a Second Language student, and then she listened to her as a Communications and Mass Media student. Rodriguez assured that her language skills were drastically improved because of listening to the WLRN’s airwaves, aside from greatly contributing to her knowledge about South Florida .
DiMattei has demonstrated excellence in her profession of journalism throughout her career. She delivered a genuine commencement speech on Friday for UIC graduates where she shared with them her journey after having graduated as an English Major from New York University. DiMattei easily connected with commencement guests, graduates and students and was surely entertaining. Her speech concluded with how every event has a purpose in life and how everything and everyone is connected. She recognized that her profession had brought her to the moment to deliver the speech to the UIC graduates. UIC’s students cherished her speech and were inspired and empowered by her words.
Martha Rodriguez was the commencement speaker representing the student body. She is originally from Venezuela. She started her speech by sharing that she wouldn’t have imagined graduating once again in another country and delivering her commencement speech in another language. She spoke about how challenging it was completing her program during the pandemic, taking virtual classes and how proud she was of her resiliency to have completed the program. She appreciated the support of the professors who helped her to keep going. She reminded the students to be committed to their goals despite their background, age, or gender.
Martha Rodriguez received the Magna Cum Laude gold cord for her 3.95 CGPA and Haiskel Tovar received the Summa Cum Laude silver cord for her 3.86 CGPA.
Communications and Mass Media Students, Ayesha Ijaz, Valerie Seguin, and Lilit Muradian, volunteered to execute the logistics of the event. The students were essential for the successful outcome of the ceremony.
The Commencement Ceremony concluded with a short reception and prosecco sipping in the gorgeous lit Old Davie School Historical Museum, under a summer sky.
Watch the IG livecast of the ceremony at https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfNMldIJbdH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Graduation Short https://www.instagram.com/tv/CfeY0JOl6Fa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Captured and Edited by Lilit Muradian-
Pictures by Juan Mirabal-
UIC Business Expo Showcases Future Entrepreneurs
Written by Prof. Jack Rose
Miramar – Students in Professor Jack Rose’s Business Expo class showcased their businesses on Friday, April 29, 2022 in the Dr. Alberto Moyano Auditorium at United International College, 3130 Commerce Parkway, Miramar, FL. These budding entrepreneurs unveiled their future business plans and appreciated the large turnout and networking opportunities that they acquired during the very special evening event. Prior to their own business expo, Professor Rose accompanied the students to the recently held Small Business Expo at the Downtown Hilton in Miami where they had the opportunity to see a great trade show/expo, interact with vendors, and attend different workshops.
Professor Rose was quick to extend accolades to the students based on feedback from all those in attendance and is confident that they will be successful in their future endeavors.
Valerie Seguin’s company is called The Essential Oil Boutique. “Essential oils have been around for centuries. They are used to give natural flavor and aroma, but also play the role of preservatives. Essential oils also affect our mind, body, and spirit. These essential oils are extracted from plants, roots or seeds and the Essential Oils Boutique is a business about essential oils which matches with the need of a part of our society to find a holistic way of life. Valerie commented that following the pandemic, more people are interested in natural products. He product displays and samples gave attendees a “taste” of her products and the great services she personally provides all clients.
Emanveli, LLC is a photography service by Lilit Muradian. Her company was founded and based in Miami in 2020 and provides photography and marketing services for restaurants and photo shoots for all special events. A native of Armenia, Lilit wanted to have a business where she could utilize her exceptional skills as a photographer, while offering a great marketing service to restaurants. Her team works with the business client and takes a table photo of guests who are mostly tourists. They receive one picture free that has the restaurant logo in the picture and the restaurant receives great reviews after the guests are asked to go online and leave a review of the restaurant. In addition, additional pictures are made available should other guests at the table wishes another copy. Emanveli, LLC is very popular in the South Beach tourist area where a large majority of visitors frequent, and Lilit hopes to expand into other destinations, both domestically and internationally.
OVO Nails and Spa is the creation of student Oanh Van. Oanh’s salon provides many different services for nail care, facials, eyebrow shaping, and other services and only uses top quality products. Her luxury salon that she plans to open in the Miramar area in a high traffic shopping center with plenty of parking and close to shops and restaurants, is planned for the near future, after graduation. Oahn will be successful since she states that she will only employ those technicians who are the best, who take pride in their work, and who believes in customer service excellence.
AFRODISIACO began in a small home in Maria Fernanda Correa’s basement in Colombia and specializes in creating and designing unique fashions for women, such as bathing suits, that are custom-made for each client to ensure a perfect fit using the highest quality fabrics that will not fade or appear bleached due to chlorine used in swimming pools. Maria will eventually add a men’s line followed by a children’s line to accomplish her goal of designing fashions for the entire family unit. Maria’s enthusiasm and creative design techniques will ensure her success.
“Working with these great students and watching them develop their ideas and bringing them to fruition, is the result of their coursework in marketing, management, accounting, finance, business planning, and entrepreneurship, added Professor Rose. Over the years, many successful entrepreneurs have started and grown their businesses successfully.” United International College believes in holistic education where students not only learn about becoming an entrepreneur, but can learn how to use their inner strengths to reach a higher altitude. United International College offers Associate and Bachelor Degree programs in Business Administration, International Business Management, Communications and Mass Media, Travel and Tourism Management and an MBA program in Business. United Language Institute also offers an exclusive English as a Second Language Program.
For further information, call United International College, (954) 607-4344.
#Entrepreneurship #startups #AppliedEducation
Future Entrepreneurs Visit Small Business Expo
Written by Prof. Jack Rose
Miramar, FL – While on Spring Break, education continued with a field trip to the Small Business Expo held on Friday, March 25, 2022 at the Hilton Miami Downtown. These future entrepreneurs, and Professor Jack J. Rose, journeyed to Miami to see a real-life trade show/expo. “Attending these events can result in networking opportunities and increasing business trend knowledge,” Rose said. “By attending the Small Business Expo, students learned how important trade shows are in preparation for their own Business Expo that will be on campus on Friday, April 22, in the Moyano Auditorium. Students visited several of the booths and the vendors were thrilled to interact with the students.
The highlight of the visit was a group workshop conducted by Bob DelVecchio, Founder and CEO of Drumming Up Business. Mr. DelVecchio shared that he was a drummer for many well-known stars and after retiring, he pursued his dream of helping individuals seek franchise opportunities around the world. He has clients in 82 countries and also works with small business owners in developing franchise opportunities for their business. His company takes care of everything, from legal to marketing, to real estate, to training opportunities. He spoke of marketing opportunities and because of his prior involvement in the music industry, he had to incorporate his love for drums in his business; thus, DRUMMING UP BUSINESS became a reality and has grown into an over billion-dollar business. He shared that his proudest moments have been working with entrepreneurs on building their business, from starting a business to growing a business.
Every student spent the morning learning, networking, and more confident that their future business will be a very successful venture.
#SmallBusinessExpo #Entrepreneurship
Learn more about UIC or talk to a representative (954) 607-4344.
Back on the Air! The Forward Motion Business Show resumes broadcasting from UIC
Written by Prof. Kenneth Ninomiya
The Forward Motion Business Show with Prof. Ken and Professor Paul A. Marino is back live streaming on YouTube from United International College. The first guest on Show #15 live stream on October 26, 2021, was Kadie Black from Kristi’s House in Miami.
Kristi House is dedicated to eradicating child abuse and child sex trafficking – working nationally on solutions and locally to heal child victims. They operate the only Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) in Miami-Dade County and are responsible for coordinating child victims’ legal, medical, and social services needs. Kristi House was founded in 1995 as a private, not-for-profit organization to provide an integrated solution for families navigating the complex services involved in the healing process. The Center is nationally recognized for its evidence-based, therapeutic expertise in treating child trauma. All services are free of charge to child victims and their families.
Kadie shared insights and expressed the importance of community support and how local businesses can support our women and kids for abused and sex-trafficked individuals at their shelter. Kadie also explained the Kristi House’s Project GOLD, the first and longest-running program in Miami-Dade County dedicated to child sex trafficking—providing the only Drop-In Center in South Florida exclusively for underage girls overcoming trafficking. At the Drop-In Center, girls receive restorative services, including case management, therapy, advocacy, transportation, and educational and recreational enrichment. Visit them to learn more and contribute at KristiHouse.org.
Prof. Ken and Professor Paul also discuss the recent failure of Quibi after only seven short months of operation. Quibi’s business model was to provide video content exclusively for the phone. Quibi stands for a “Quick Bite” because their video content would be no longer than 10 minutes.
Executive Meg Whitman led the start-up company. She took eBay to a multibillion-dollar company and turned them into what they are today, and holds degrees from Harvard and Princeton. Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg from DreamWorks fame, who created many successful shows and movies such as Shrek and The Lion King also led the start-up. The two of them together were a pretty amazing executive team which allowed them to raise $1.7 Billion to get the company started. To launch in the Spring of 2020, they took out an ad during the 2020 Super Bowl and the 2020 Oscars before the service was even available.
The concept lasted about seven months and became a rapid failure. The idea was to stream a 5 to 10-minute video to people standing around or waiting for something to happen. Quibi was hoping to take users away from Instagram and Facebook.
I immediately subscribed to the service because it sounded great and used a remarkable technology that allowed you to watch the video in portrait mode or horizontal mode on your phone. They also had a ton of content creators and big names, but the content was not that good.
Even though $1.7 Billion is a lot of money, it wasn’t enough. Their biggest competitor Netflix spends about $15 billion a year to generate new shows. Quibi also didn’t have a library of older content for viewers to watch. For example, Netflix has all the older TV shows, and Disney has older movies. So, it’s not just the new stuff that wasn’t good, but they didn’t have any older content to fill in the gaps.
Quibi also learned that most users preferred to get short-form video content for Free on competitors’ YouTube site, so people dropped it when they started to charge for the subscription. But the real nail in their coffin was the untimely launch in April 2020, just as Covid was shutting us all down. So, if the idea was to have people watch a video when you’re standing around waiting in line waiting for the bus or waiting for the subway, it didn’t work because no one was waiting around in line. We were all locked in our houses watching Netflix. It’s hard to predict bad timing when launching a business, so that is an unexpected turn. Still, they underestimated their competition, misread their target market, and didn’t have enough money to compete. These are the lessons any business can learn from.
This Forward Motion broadcast also discussed the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale. This was a timely discussion for all of us coming through the Covid pandemic. The book covers five essential principles to maintain a positive attitude. These were to believe in yourself, give and take care of others, you shouldn’t face your problems on your own, your attitude will affect your thoughts, and the basic concept of don’t worry, be happy!
I think that we all need to be happy and not worry
about the small stuff. During Covid, it was only natural to feel worried, insecure, depressed, or just simply down. It’s reasonable to worry about your finances and health, but it creates more unhappiness and can ev
en exasperate illness. Worrying is a bad habit that can be switched, and your mind can be trained to re-evaluate things from a different perspective. Breaking the habit of worrying is easy if you can believe that it is possible to move on and not let it consume you daily. The best thing I do is imagine a worry-free life and that “this too shall pass.” It sounds easier than it is, and most people struggle with this concept, even me, at times. The goal should be a worry-free life, and then you can start to enjoy the power of positive thinking.
Join Professor Ken and Professor Paul for the next Forward Motion Business Show Live Stream from United International College on Tuesday, November 30, 2020, at 6:15 PM EST.
Below are helpful links from this broadcast:
Kristi House – https://kristihouse.org/
United International College: https://www.uinternational.edu/
The Forward Motion Business Show: https://www.theforwardmotionbusinessshow.com/
YouTube Channel for The Forward Motion Business Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiBJ22vZ002KQ–bQoeqXjg
YouTube Channel for United International College: https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedInternationalCollege
Professor Ken: https://www.profken.us/
#ProfKenUS #Kristihouse #ForwardMotion #ForwardMotionBusinessShow #UIC
For further information, contact United International College at (954) 607-4344.
Aging is an Art: The Challenge of Showing the World that Aging also Has its Value
Written by Deborah Viaro
English Composition Writing Student
English Composition Prof. Joseph Weisler
English Writing Tutor Prof. Jack Rose
When I was younger, I once heard a sentence that went something like this: “I remember seeing a rose, but I don’t remember seeing the rosebud in the garden” (author unknown, just a memory of mine…).
In the past, it was even possible to understand why society ignored or paid little attention to the elderly: they were relatively few and mostly relegated to invisibility within their own families – for better or for worse. Today this attitude is no longer possible.
The Brazilian singer and lyricist Arnaldo Antunes, in his song “Envelhecer” (Aging), says that the most modern thing in life is getting old.
And that is how we need to think about Aging, care for and value the Elderly, defend their role in the family and in Society and, above all, show that they, through their experience have a lot to teach the younger ones.
It is known that one of humanity’s greatest achievements was the increase in years of life, in addition to an improvement in the health of the elderly population, even if these achievements are not even close to the ideal. Reaching old age, which in the past was a privilege of few people, is now common, even in underdeveloped countries. However, this achievement has become one of the great challenges for the 21st century.
Through the research of books that deal with the subject, I was able to verify that, according to Hoyer and Roodin in the book Adult Development and Aging (2003) “… the chronological age, which quantifies the passage of time elapsed in days, months and years since the birth, is one of the most common and simplest means of obtaining information about a person. Biological age is defined by bodily and mental changes that occur throughout the development process and characterize the human aging process”. Social age, on the other hand, according to Hoyer and Roodin, is defined “through habits and social status to fulfill social roles”. The authors also define psychological age as the set of skills to which individuals adapt to the environment. It can also be defined by patterns of behavior acquired throughout life. It is understood, then, that aging is the result of a socio-historical construction experienced by the individual throughout life.
Beauvoir (1990), previously, in her book The Coming of Age, highlighted the history of old age in some societies, especially in ancient China and Japan, which favored their elderly. The old Chinese instituted a centralized and authoritarian power. According to Beauvoir, “Confucius modeled in the image of the collectivity the microcosm that gave it the family as its basis. The whole house owed obedience to the older man”. It is believed that the elderly person was seen as possessing a certain supernatural power, due to their long life, occupying a prominent place, associating wisdom and experience. Also, according to Confucius, old age brings with it wisdom: “At 15, he devoted himself to the study of wisdom; at 30, I confirmed myself in it; at 40 I had no doubts, at 60 nothing else in the world could shock me; at 70 I could follow the dictates of my heart without transgressing the moral law”. Beauvoir claimed that the idea of honor was related to old age. For the author, old age was integrated with wisdom, with longevity giving her experience and authority.
Also, during our recent works through book reading, the movie and interpreting them, I was able to understand and admire “The Help”, a book based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, where the aspiring writer, Skeeter, decides to write a book from the point of view of maids on the white families they worked for, along with the difficulties they regularly suffered. New friendships and bonds were formed, and Skeeter ends up shaking an entire Society when these untold stories are shared with the general public.
And so, I learned to admire Skeeter, this young writer who through her book showed the racism suffered by maids in white houses; I also learned to admire amazing characters like Minny Jackson and Aibileen Clark, people who never played poor things or put themselves in a victim position because they didn’t need to, but in the end, their voices could be heard and changed the understanding of those people within the context in which they lived.
Inspired by Skeeter, obviously without any pretensions, my challenge will be, not how she did it, but using another instrument, yes because obviously I’m not going to write a book, but somehow show how much we can value the elders; how much your “life baggage” built over the years is useful and still very important to us.
And still inspired by Skeeter, since I couldn’t interview him in person, I tried to discover a little of the “life story” of someone who, despite knowing very little, already had time to admire and recognize his great value. I am talking nothing less than Professor Jack J. Rose, a dear Professor at UIC, who upon my request, took no more than two hours to present me an interview, recently conducted by a student. By reading his “Curriculum of Life”, and not a Professional, I could
understand why a person who, honestly, even though I have no idea of his age (and not the indiscretion of asking, because for me this is just a detail), has a unique ability to bring to us, “simple mortals”, a little of its great wisdom.
I will now transcribe (duly authorized by him) just a little of the interview he sent me, requested by me with the aim of enriching my work, but whose author was not informed to me.
“One of the most respected and loved professor at United International College is Professor Rose. I had the pleasure of interviewing Professor Rose recently, and I have been a student in his Business Expo class. Due to his reputation, I was so excited when I learned he would be my professor. Every student at UIC knows that he truly cares about all his students, and he constantly motivate them to learn and grow. However, I didn’t know much about his background until I interviewed him.
Professor Rose started working at the age of eight selling newspapers on a street corner in New Jersey where he grew up. At the age of 12, he started his own business taking orders at the local beauty salon for breakfast, lunch, and mid-afternoon. This particular salon had 18 hairdressers, 4 shampoo girls, and 8 manicurists, so we know it was a very busy place. He made a deal with a local luncheonette that he would take the orders, get them filled, and deliver them. He even set up an account for the workers who were too busy to stop and pay after each delivery. He worked on tips and then informed his boss that he was leaving and working with another local restaurant because they were going to pay him $20.00 per day, plus tips. He was happy when his boss agreed to pay him. He worked after school on Friday and all-day Saturday, making anywhere between $50-75, which, at that time, was great pay.
Professor Rose has his own marketing and management consulting company, and we wonder when he has time to sleep. I asked him that very question, and he said, “I’m like the Energizer Bunny in that every so often, I spend Sunday in bed watching sports, while I recharge my batteries.” He adds, “I love working with students and hope I contribute a little bit to their future.” Professor Rose, you have contributed much to our futures and know how much you are loved, respected, and admired. Thank you for always caring and sharing your expertise with us”.
How can we not admire and fail to extol such ability? Perhaps only one book would translate the life experience of this Professional who, in all his classes, shares all his years of experience with his students.
In addition to Professor Rose’s example, I would also like to mention a dear aunt in Brazil. Aunt Janete. An 87-year-old widow who, with her daughter, manages a Portuguese candy factory in a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Aunt Janete is tireless; every day she works in the Factory’s Production Sector, when she is not paying attention to one of the many customers who insist on being served by her. And she is the one who makes all the purchases of the necessary supplies to make the candies. We know that the Purchasing Sector is one of the most important of a Company, you can only sell well if you buy well. And so follows Tia Janete with her prosperous company with almost 40 years of existence.
And the reason I made a point of mentioning, even paying homage to these two nice and dear figures, is precisely for all the capacity of both of them who, “at the best age”, still productive, insist on continuing to work, being examples and “school” for many young people.
The elderly is increasingly active, taking care of health and working, being involved in social, economic, cultural, spiritual, and civil issues. As Linda Gorman puts it, “…increasing life expectancy in the United States has been associated with healthier life expectancy. Thus, it is possible for Americans to respond by working more or saving more during their working lives.”
It is also worth mentioning the autonomy of these “Professionals” (I prefer to refer to this than “these Seniors”) in managing their own financial life, often even helping with the family’s income. They are totally capable! According to Anek Belbase and Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher, in Cognitive Aging and the Capacity to Manage Money to pay the bills, handle debt, and maintain good credit for workers in their 50s and 60s. For example, one study that directly measured financial capability using a standardized test found that 95 percent of adults without cognitive impairment were fully able to manage their own finances.”
And so, they continue to contribute, teaching a little of their “Old Age” to the “Young” ones.
Aging is to write once more (rewrite) what has already been written, regardless of whether this writing was more difficult, painful, or smoother and calmer. It is giving new meanings to the text of life; it is to continue stimulating the body, the mind; is to keep dreaming, working; is to produce!
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