Commentary: Life Long Learning

In the Fall of 2002, I enrolled in a course titled “Greed and Corruption in Corporate America” through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Sonoma State University. We had recently moved to Sonoma County after I retired from practicing Pediatric Dentistry for 40-plus years in the Bay Area. The Enron scandal had just unfolded, and I wanted to better understand how capitalism works in this country and broaden my horizons in general. The course and the OLLi program changed my life. I have not looked back.
After 10 years as a student and three years on the Curriculum Committee and Advisory Board, I am the quintessential advocate for lifelong learning. The University has been seeking outreach for North County, and OLLI is coming this Fall, with three exciting six-week courses at the Villa Chanticleer that will serve residents of northern Sonoma County, from Cloverdale to Windsor.
The benefits and possibilities are endless. The level of instruction and instructors are University grade. The format is classroom as opposed to lecture, so interaction is encouraged. The faculty is recruited from academic institutions throughout the Bay Area, not just Sonoma State. There will always be a variety of subjects offered to accommodate different interests. We have in Sonoma County a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors. The student body is made up of people from every walk of life – agriculture, government, education, the professions and the arts. You will have the access to meet and exchange ideas with a wide range of people in the OLLI community.
Travel/study opportunities are a possibility as well. In 2008 we travelled with a small group to Russia with Professor Roberta Shaw. It was her twelfth trip, so her experience and relationships in Moscow, the countryside and St. Petersburg were invaluable. There are faculty led excursions all over the world – Alaska, Sicily, China, Cuba, Brazil and India. Consider this a big benefit – Bon Voyage!
So, on behalf of the OLLI program at Sonoma State University, I personally invite you to participate in our new venture in Healdsburg this coming year. Do come and hear about the muses, the bonobos, the amyloids and the Stuarts. Let the experts tell you about FDR and the Holocaust, Lincoln’s melancholy and the Age of Enlightenment in Paris. It is all here for the taking – I hope to see you in class!
Bob Santos is a Healdsburg resident