Article written by Terry Weber Mangos, Class Instructor and SeniorCare volunteer
Last Thursday was a day 72-year-old Donna Young will never forget. For the first time in her life, she wore a graduation cap symbolizing the achievement of a goal: to conquer her fear of computers.
Young completed an eight-week course called Intro to Chromebook Computers, offered by SeniorCare. The class met weekly in the community room of her building, the YMCA’s John J Meany Building in downtown Gloucester, where all of the class attendees live.
“I never got my GED or went to college,” Young said. “All my life I’ve gone to other people’s graduations. I never thought I’d have one of my own.”
Young grew up in Gloucester and attended Gloucester High School in the late 1960s. She left school in about the 10th grade to have her first child. She also started working as a nurse’s aide at a local nursing home, a field she would stay in for more than 40 years.
“I really did enjoy my work, working with older folks,” she said. “Or believe me, I wouldn’t have done it for over four decades.”
Over the years, as computer skills became more necessary in every job, Young struggled to keep up. “I did try,” she admitted with a laugh. “But I was not good at it. And nowadays, you must know technology to get things done. That’s why I signed up for the class – so I wouldn’t be afraid of computers anymore.”
At first, she was nervous. But the small, supportive class — made up of other older adults learning at their own pace — quickly became something she looked forward to each week.
“It was nice to see we were all in the same boat,” Young said. “We laughed a lot, and everyone helped each other out. We learned about emails, creating documents, accessing our medical portals, and more. It made me feel more confident, more independent.”
When graduation day came, Young couldn’t stop smiling and sniffled a bit as she was handed her diploma. She stood proudly with her classmates as they posed for photos.
“Wearing that cap meant a lot,” Young said. “It made me feel proud, like I can keep learning. And I finally got to do something I missed out on years ago.”
