in focus
Brandon Klein
Never Too Cool for School
Older adults excel at Otterbein classes By Brandon Klein
J
ames Dooley is a 1977 graduate of Otterbein University, but he’s been learning long after leaving school. Even though his college days are over, Dooley thinks it’s important to continue learning through your entire life. He heard about Otterbein's Lifelong Learning Community (LLC) and decided to register. “I did not expect anything, but fell in love with it,” Dooley says. For the last two years, Dooley has attended several Otterbein seminars on subjects such as ancient Ohio earthworks, the 1970s and art forgeries. Dooley had the chance to be a moderator of a seminar titled “You and Your Microbiome,” a subject that, before attending, went completely over his head. "I knew nothing, but look what happened," Dooley says. "I've learned so much and that's part of the aspect of lifelong learning." Program Background The LLC celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, offering adults 55-plus another year of weekly seminars, volunteer opportunities and more. The program is the brainchild of Alison Prindle, an emeritus professor, and Becky Smith, former executive director of Otterbein office of alumni relations. It builds upon the university’s longtime offerings of a free college course per semester for older adults. “Lifelong learning community brings just that, a community,” says Dana Viglietta, Otterbein’s director of the special campaigns & initiatives, institutional ad-
10 July/August 2021
www.westervillemagazine.com
