Gen Z student and Baby Boomer become unlikely study buddies
Bridging the generational gap at Georgia Gwinnett College
College can be hard at any age, but a pair of Georgia Gwinnett College students proves every generation has something to offer. When a nontraditional student struggled to keep up in class, it was someone five decades younger who helped form a bridge for the generation gap.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A pair of Georgia Gwinnett College students proves every generation has something to offer.
If time proves, with age, comes wisdom, and youth is wasted on the young, you can consider Emily Borrego's and Carlos Delgado's friendship the perfect mix of life experience and a fresh perspective.
Delgado, 75, a nontraditional student, struggled to keep up in class. Borrego, his peer, who is five decades younger, helped form a bridge between the generation gap.
"We met the first day of information technology class," Borrego, 20, said. "I noticed he was struggling logging in."
So, Borrego offered her tech savviness as help.
"I said, 'Oh, my gosh, thank God! He sends to me a kind angel,’" Delgado said. "All of a sudden everything started to make sense.
That was just the beginning. Since then, the two have worked together in and out of the class.
"He's met both my parents and twin sister. We all hang together. I've met his son on WhatsApp, FaceTime," Borrego said.
"We seniors are not very good with technology. When I was studying, we didn't have internet, all these things," Delgado said.
At 20, Borrego doesn't know a time without the world at her fingertips, but the two have connected in several ways. They are both business majors, they come from similar cultures and shared career goals.
"Even though he's 75, he still wants to do so much with his life. He doesn't think that his life is over, he wants to keep setting goals for himself and reach his dreams," Borrego said.
The two have even considered going into business with one another. As for what that business might be, Delgado says they're keeping their ideas close to the heart.
"I don't want competition," he said.