Floral Park resident Zona Schreiber is an active member of Hofstra University’s Personal Enrichment in Retirement Program (PEIR). The retired Spanish teacher is, once again, enrolled in college, but now as a senior. As a member, she lectures others in the program, and she attends the lectures those members present.
“The students are the teachers at PEIR”, Schreiber said. The lectures given by retired seniors of all professions include a myriad of topics, covering everything from astrophysics to poetry. Members can attend any lecture, and they can teach what they please on their own time.
Schreiber often lectures her peers about topics that interest her, in effort to get others also interested. The Aztec civilization is one subject that she has lectured about. Her travels to Mexico and knowledge of Spain sparked her interest in researching and lecturing about the topic.
Knowledge is the reason why Schreiber joined the PEIR Program. She said, “You never stop learning. Everyone here is truly interested in learning, so we come here to do just that.”
There are many perk of being a senior student. Schreiber laughed and said, “These lectures are wonderful, we don’t have any exams or grades, and we can cut if we want to!”
The PIER program is for retirees ages 55 and older. To schedule a visit, call Bradley Kaye at 516-463-4824. The website is www.hofstra.edu/academics/ce/lifelonglearning/peir.
