Maija Juurinen, one of the active senior enthusiasts at the Helsinki Adult Education Center, is a retired dentist. Maija, who hails from Jämsä, an island in Taivassalo in Lake Päijänne, spent her working career in Joensuu and is now spending her retirement days in Helsinki.
Maija, according to our register, you have attended 28 courses at Helsinki Adult Education Center since 2020. What things motivate you to pursue your interests and learn?
I come from humble circumstances, and the only way to get by in life was to be interested in studying and learning. This attitude has remained with me throughout my life. My mother’s mindset “Work is fun!” has also encouraged me to be active and curious about new things. I felt that my work as a dentist was not as general educational and generally interesting as, for example, a teaching profession. After all, no one is interested in talking about teeth! So I had to acquire my general education in other ways.
What makes you sign up for courses at the Helsinki Adult Education Institute again and again?
The location of the Helsinki Adult Education Centre in Etu-Töölö is suitable for me, as I live in Meilahti. The centre has a good and clear course brochure, which I look through to get excited about new things. I have regular courses that I participate in year after year, such as various seniors' sports classes. The centre has good and enthusiastic teachers, whose classes are fun to attend.
What would you like to say to other seniors so that they too can stay active and mobile for as long as possible?
I would like to tell all seniors that there is time in life now, and all kinds of opportunities are available. It is worth getting out of your mind and implementing even crazy ideas. I have participated in courses such as “Facial Firming Gua Sha”, “You are wonderful!” and “I want to sing”. When you are retired, you are allowed to take the reins!