At a Central New Jersey senior center, an unexpected friendship and extraordinary bond have formed between two social workers whose careers began generations apart. One is just entering the field with hope and determination; the other, now a resident of the senior center, spent 65 years shaping it with grit, compassion, and an unwavering belief in humanity. Linking their stories is Rutgers School of Social Work and a shared understanding of what it truly means to care for others.
Nicole Goitiandia, SSW’22 entered Rutgers School of Social Work’s MSW program during the chaos and uncertainty of the pandemic, unsure of where she belonged. But then she discovered the Aging and Health Certificate Program and immediately felt something click. Nicole’s practicum assignment brought all her classroom learning into vivid reality. “I was placed in a senior center, and I had the best experience. I had an incredible supervisor and worked with Dr. Lauren Snedeker, Director of the Aging & Health Certificate Program, and knew working in aging was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”
When the senior center offered her a position at the end of her placement, she didn’t hesitate. And that’s where she met Lewis “Lew” Schwartz, SSW’60.
A fellow graduate of Rutgers School of Social Work, Lew, who is 90, made an immediate impression on 27-year-old Nicole. One of the first things Lew told her left a lasting imprint: “Protect your integrity. You can’t get it back once you lose it.” Nicole took those words to heart. “I will never forget them,” she says. “I think about them often, and they’ve set the foundation for where I am now.”
Lew spent nearly seven decades serving others helping veterans, supporting families, building community programs, and volunteering wherever he was needed. “I made two good choices in my life: my spouse and my career,” he says. “I didn’t get paid a hell of a lot. But I remember being in a shop one day when a woman came up to me and said, ‘Mr. Schwartz, thank you for helping my son,’” he recalls tearfully. Moments like these remind Lew just why he chose the social work profession.
Their conversations meander across decades. Nicole shares the challenges she sees today: families struggling to access services, the weight of political polarization, the gaps in the healthcare system. Lew nods knowingly. They’ve seen the same problems and fought the same fights. It shows just how important the work is.
“We’ve become a narcissistic society,” Lew says. “People need to care about the bigger picture. Social workers need to be in the room where decisions are made. That’s where the greatest good happens.” Nicole admires how passionately he speaks about political involvement. “He reminds me that social work is about being part of something bigger,” she says.
Lew enjoys the camaraderie he has with a fellow social worker. “Social workers are competent,” he says. “They help direct me. I know they’re there for me if I need them.”
Their relationship is the kind that can’t be manufactured. It grows quietly through shared stories, tough conversations, and moments of simple presence. “Lew is my social work guide,” Nicole says. “He has lots of stories, which is great because I like to hear them and he likes to tell them.”
The Aging and Health Certificate Program didn’t just teach Nicole about gerontology—it taught her how to foster relationships like the one she has with Lew. Nicole often reflects on how unusual but deeply meaningful it is to have such a connection with someone so committed to their shared profession. “His love and care for people never waned,” she says. “I’m 27 and just starting my career, and I meet Lew who is 90. We’re able to talk about our profession and relate to each other so deeply. It’s a nice feeling.”
Nicole and Lew’s chance connection, strengthened by hours of conversation and sustained by mutual admiration, represents a special kind of social work education. It is knowledge passed down through generations. It is an elder guiding a newcomer, and a newcomer giving an elder renewed purpose.
In the quiet corners of the senior center, Nicole and Lew’s bond continues to grow. And because of Rutgers School of Social Work, lessons from the field continue to be shared, carried tenderly from one generation to the next.
