by Kysa Anderson Daniels

 

Suzanne Bentz spent her formative years attending parochial school in the Northeast, where—educated by nuns—she learned one of the most enduring lessons of her life.

 

“The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur taught us that to write our lives, we must honor and work on keeping our minds, our bodies and our souls healthy,” Bentz shares of her childhood experience.

 

In recent years, the 71-year-old grandmother has looked to Georgia Perimeter College as part of her quest to stay mentally agile. She became a GPC student in 2012 after a neighbor told her about the Prime Timers program, which enables Georgians 62 and older to take classes at state colleges, free of charge.

“When I heard about that, I thought ‘wow, I’m kinda retired now, this sounds wonderful’,” Bentz recalls.

 

Already a college graduate, Bentz decided on taking a German class because her son, his wife and their two children live in Austria, and she visits them annually. So far, she has taken four semesters of German and gotten deeply entrenched in campus life.

 

GPC assistant professor Eric Kendrick remembers how Bentz accepted the challenge of re-chartering the defunct Dunwoody Campus German Club. Several students had inquired about revamping the club, but once they learned about the responsibilities, Kendrick says they shied away.

 

“She approached this opportunity like she does everything, with 100 percent commitment, along with a vision for growing the German Club into one of the most active clubs at the college,” Kendrick says.

 

Bentz’ leadership led to Kendrick nominating her for an Outstanding Female Student recognition sponsored by Dunwoody Campus Student Life. She received the award earlier this year.

 

“I thought that the caliber of students I had worked with could not get any better, but that was before I met Suzanne Bentz,” Kendrick wrote in his nomination letter.

 

For her part, Bentz seems at ease being a senior student among her GPC classmates. She chuckles when remembering the time a professor asked students to review a particular website using their handheld computers or smart phones. Bentz had to look on with someone else.

 

“I still have my granny phone,” she says, laughing.

 

Bentz’ cell might be outdated, but her impact on fellow students is not.

 

“For example, one of the German Club members is currently putting together a soccer match to be played between students who are active in various clubs at GPC,” says Rick Robinson, German Club advisor, professor and foreign languages department chair. “This lofty pursuit was due to Suzanne’s encouragement and assistance in creating a plan to bring this to fruition.”

 

The German Club currently boasts some 100 members who partake in a wide variety of activities coordinated by Bentz, now past club president. Under her leadership, students visited the North Georgia city of Helen to participate in Oktoberfest, attended a Vienna Boys Choir concert and eaten at a German restaurant. Bentz also orchestrated last year’s Kürbisfest, or German Pumpkin Festival, which attracted students who competed for the honor of most creative carved pumpkin.

 

A Connecticut native, Bentz moved to Georgia in the mid ‘80s with her former husband. In 2000, she retired from what’s now AT&T after 35 years of service, then went to work for a Buckhead advertising agency for another 10 years. These days, Bentz keeps her professional skills sharp by freelance writing.

 

Bentz’ involvement extends beyond GPC to include volunteerism with the USO and the Dunwoody Women’s Club, among other organizations.
And, if her lineage is any indication, Bentz won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Her dad lived to be nearly 100, rode a recumbent bike in his 90s and learned Korean fluently late in his life.

 

With this as her inspiration, Bentz has yet a few more German classes in her.

 

“I enjoy being the Oma (German for grandmother) of the classroom,” she says. “I’m going to take [German classes] until it sticks.”