news

When Emily Borrego saw a fellow student struggling to log in to his laptop during her first class at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), she didn’t hesitate to approach him and offer to help. Carlos Delgado gratefully accepted her offer, and in seconds, she had him signed in. Unbeknownst to the two of them, that seemingly innocuous overture was the beginning of an unexpected friendship that is still growing stronger despite the more than five decades that separate the two: Borrego is 19; Delgado is 75.

“I saw him struggling, and I just figured I’d help,” said Borrego, a native of Lawrenceville. “It was in an information technology (IT) class, and we are both business majors. After that, we just kind of became buddies.”

“Emily has a good heart. She likes helping people,” said Delgado, whose rich accent discloses his upbringing in Bogota, Colombia. “I think it’s difficult for some people to deal with people of older ages when they are young. They try to avoid it. That is not the case with Emily. She just saw me as another student who needed help.”

The two came to GGC from separate ends of their lifetimes: Borrego right after graduating from Brookwood High School in 2022 and Delgado after retiring from a career as a Spanish teacher in Atlanta and Fulton County public schools. They quickly figured out that their different perspectives complimented each other, especially when it came to getting through the IT class. Borrego helps Delgado navigate the school’s computer systems, and Delgado uses his treasure chest full of life experience to add perspective to their lessons.

“Literally, all we do is laugh,” said Borrego. “I help him, but I get to learn from him. We talk about life and find things to laugh about.”

Both students are busy with other classes outside of their IT studies, so they make time on the weekends to meet at a Gwinnett County Public Library, where they spend hours together doing assignments and studying for quizzes. At first glance, the duo might look like a grandfather and granddaughter spending time together, not a couple of undergraduate students grinding away to pass a challenging class.

“It might be unusual to have two students, the oldest and one of the youngest, connect,” said Delgado. “But it feels natural, and being with someone younger is good for me. She helps me learn, and the most important thing for me right now is to learn.”

Delgado’s life journey took him worldwide before he landed in Lawrenceville. After graduating high school and earning a degree in languages from Libre University in Colombia, he moved to Spain to earn a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Salamanca, the oldest university in the Hispanic world. After that, he immigrated to London, England, where he worked as a telephone engineer for BellSouth for 15 years before accepting a transfer to Miami, Florida. He quickly realized the city didn’t suit him.

“London was cold – the weather is awful there sometimes – but Miami is so hot it’s uncomfortable, and mosquitos would fly in every time I opened my mouth!”

He decided to move to New York City, but on his way there, he stopped in Atlanta long enough to learn that the school systems in the area desperately needed Spanish teachers. That led to a career working for the Atlanta and Fulton County public school systems until his retirement in 2013. He spent the next 10 years, as he puts it, “idling and traveling the world,” but eventually started to crave another challenge.

“GGC is five minutes from my house, so I said I’ll try,” he said. “As a senior, I was eligible under the Amendment 23 program to attend classes for free. My family said, ‘Why not?’ It’s better than watching television all the time. I could try doing some mental gymnastics to protect my brain, and I will update my skills.”

Borrego came to GGC from the other end of the spectrum, fresh out of high school and unsure of her career path. For now, she’s a business major.

“Some people seem to have it all figured out, but that’s not who I am yet,” she said. “I’m still exploring my options.”

Delgado, who plans to start his own business after he graduates, has advice at the ready for his friend.

“Work and make things happen. Don’t procrastinate, and don’t be lazy,” he said. “If you’re doing things, you’re alive. If you don’t move, you’re a dead body. So, keep moving forward, no matter what, and you’ll find your path.”

Since Delgado is technically a senior and Borrego is a first-year student, he will graduate and move on several years before she does, but both are certain that won’t be the end of their relationship.

“I think we’ll always be in touch,” said Borrego. “At this point, he’s met my family, and I’ve met some of his, so it’s gone beyond our schoolwork. I think this friendship is going to last.”