Working in Retirement
97-year-old finds a passion for teaching
Recently, 97-year-old Agnes Zhelesnik decided to help her class of preschoolers learn with the help of some fresh banana bread, according to ABC News Affiliate WPVI. She explained that it was all part of teaching the kids the alphabet.
"Because 'n' is in 'bananas,' and we'll soon do 'g' for 'gingersnaps,' so the kids learn," Zhelesnik told the TV station.
Zhelesnik has been working as a preschool teacher at Sundance School in North Plainfield, New Jersey, for the past 15 years, beginning when she was 82. Each day, she works from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, and sometimes teaches after-school sewing classes.
Zhelesnik's passion for working well beyond retirement may not come as a surprise to baby boomers who plan to do the same. A Barclays Wealth Insight report from earlier this year dubbed the demographic the "nevertirees," as the findings showed that 63 percent of affluent Americans no longer view the official retirement age as a time to stop working.
"While previous generations looked to create their wealth early on in life with a view to enjoying it when they retired, this report reflects a different attitude, with people wanting to continue to challenge themselves well beyond the traditional retirement age," said Matt Brady, the head of wealth advisory at Barclays Wealth. "Indeed, many Nevertirees prefer to be actively engaged and challenged and are not bound by their age with regards to continuing their working life."
Del Webb retirement communities like Del Webb Orlando are built with the active and working retiree in mind. Facilities and gyms offer later hours for those who are at the office for part of the day, while spaces such as The Learning and Business Center offer fantastic accommodations for telecommuters or freelancers.
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