These Students Are Dumping Their Dorms for a Retirement Home

Dec. 5, 2015, 11:17 PM UTC / Updated Dec. 5, 2015, 11:17 PM UTC

By Matthew Vann and John Yang

Retirement homes are perhaps the last place one might expect to find graduate students living. But for some in Cleveland, that’s the best student housing arrangement they could ask for.

Daniel Parvin, 25, calls the Judson Manor, a vintage one-time luxury hotel, his home after long days of study pursuing his Ph.D. at the Cleveland Institute of Music. But in his spare time, he’s also their resident pianist.

"I inherit 100 surrogate grandparents here," he said. "And they’re really dear friends of mine."

From left to right: Tiffany Tieu, (oboe), Daniel Parvin (piano) and Justine Myers (oboe)

In exchange for free housing, students living at Judson Manor give free performances at least once a month.

When it was first agreed on that the students would be living at the residence, there were no worries about the late-night loud parties that may typically be associated with college students.

"I wasn’t remotely apprehensive at all," said retirement home resident Mark Corcoran. “I thought it was a good addition to the community, and it has been without question. It has really worked very well.”

And after hearing one concert, some who haven’t touched an instrument in years felt compelled to play along with him.

"I had the privilege to play with him [Daniel]," said Janet Hall. "He was great. When I made a mistake, he didn’t jump up and walk away or say, 'Janet that’s awful.' He’s just very nice about it.”

And for other residents, just having the students around does much to lift their spirits.

"You see a young person coming toward you and want to look alive," said Paul Ingalls. "You want to look like you’re still part of it."

Judson Manor residents listen to a concert presented by students living at the residence.

The residents have developed such an affinity for the students they even consider them as part of their family, referring to them as grandchildren.

Tiffany Tieu, 23, who plays the violin at Judson Manor, had an audition in Brazil, which concerned some residents about how she would get there. But in the end it turned out just fine when they found out she had friends there.

"She’s as much my family," said Laura Berick, 79, of Tieu. "I see more of her than I do some my adult grandkids."

But what could they possibly have in common? It turns out that much more than the music has brought them together.

"We found a lot of things that we like to do together," said Tiffany. "Cooking, sharing a meal, talking about art."

George Havens believes that both the students and the residents get as much as they give.

"It’s a win for us, because we have delightful young people here," Havens said.

Matthew Vann

John Yang

John Yang is an NBC News correspondent based in Chicago, where he covers a variety of stories for “Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “TODAY” and MSNBC.

Since being assigned to Chicago in 2009, Yang has covered a number of major stories, including the deadly April 2011 outbreak of tornadoes in Alabama. His coverage was part of a "Nightly News with Brian Williams” honored with the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for “Best Newscast.” In 2012, he was the lead correspondent for NBC News’ coverage of the sex abuse trial of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky. He also reported from Afghanistan.

Previously, Yang was based in Washington, where he was White House correspondent. He was part of the NBC News team honored with an Emmy for coverage of Election Night 2008.

In September 2007, Yang was the only television correspondent to accompany President Bush on his surprise visit to a U.S. airbase in Anbar Province in Iraq, west of Baghdad. During the visit, he conducted a one-on-one interview with the president.

Yang joined NBC in January 2007 from ABC News, where he worked in Washington and Jerusalem. As ABC News’s Middle East correspondent, Yang covered many major events in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the 2002 Israeli military operation in the West Bank and the final days of the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Yang also spent extensive time in Iraq and was the first American broadcast reporter to interview captured al Qaeda fighters imprisoned along the Iran-Iraq border.

In 2000, he covered the presidential campaign of then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush during the Republican primaries. That fall, he covered then-Vice President Al Gore’s campaign through Election Day and the Florida recount.

In the days following the 9/11 terror attacks, Yang reported from the Pentagon and was part of the ABC News team honored with both the George Foster Peabody Award and an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award. Yang was also part of the ABC News team honored with an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II.

Prior to joining ABC News, Yang was a reporter and editor at The Washington Post for nearly ten years. As a reporter, he covered Congress and the White House. As an editor, he directed coverage of economic policy in the paper’s business section and oversaw political features in The Post’s Style section. Throughout his print career, he covered Congress and national politics. He had previously worked for The Boston Globe, Time magazine and The Wall Street Journal.

Yang was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and graduated cum laude from Wesleyan University.