In this episode of "Looking Forward Our Way," the focus is on the opportunities for lifelong learning in Central Ohio and the specific Lifelong Learning Community (LLC) program at Otterbein University.

Hosts Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson are joined by guest experts Dana Viglietta, the executive director of engagement at Otterbein University, and Kevin Byrd, a member of Otterbein's LLC. The episode emphasizes that Central Ohio offers a range of opportunities for lifelong learning, including programs at Ohio State, Columbus State, and other state and private schools, as well as free courses throughout the state offered by the higher education office.

The episode delves into the idea of starting a lifelong learning community (LLC), which may initially seem intimidating, but it is described as a welcoming community offering opportunities for learning, networking, and social interaction. It is emphasized that there is no financial loss for trying different programs like LLC, senior college, or academic classes, and walking away if it doesn't suit one's needs is always an option.

Participants in the LLC program shared their gratitude for the experience, highlighting the sense of community and support, and emphasizing the value of learning as a gift. Kevin Byrd specifically emphasized the value of faculty and professors who are genuinely enthusiastic and engaged in teaching.

Dana Viglietta discusses her career at Otterbein University, from being a student to working in alumni relations, and explains the LLC’s application process. She emphasizes the importance of being a lifelong learner and how the program aligns with the university's mission and values.

The program has members who support the university and the local community through various activities, such as theater patronage, involvement in senior college programs, support for art galleries, and assistance to international students. The panel emphasizes how members utilize their learning experiences to create new businesses, hobbies, or enhance local nonprofits, churches, or schools, and share their knowledge with others.

The Otterbein LLC program features a mix of classes taught by faculty, members of the LLC, and community members, with a focus on offering something for everyone and being open to learning new topics.

Kevin Byrd stresses the importance of lifelong learning and the value of continued education and training beyond obtaining a degree. The program facilitates connections and networking among members, allowing for the sharing of experiences and valuable insights.

Memorable Moments

07:47 Mix of faculty, community, appealing to all.

10:29 New network brings unexpected connections and insights.

18:07 Program for individuals age 60 and over.

21:44 LLC members share and spread knowledge.

23:00 Panel discussion highlights community involvement and connections.

30:24 Advice for joining LLC, to not feel like an outsider.

34:44 Professors enjoy teaching and students are engaged.

We would love to hear from you.

Give us your feedback, or suggest a topic, by leaving us a voice message.

Email us at hello@lookingforwardourway.com.

Find us on Facebook.

Please review our podcast on Google!

And of course, everything can be found on our website, Looking Forward Our Way.

Recorded in Studio C at 511 Studios. A production of Circle270Media Podcast Consultants.

Copyright 2024 Carol Ventresca and Brett Johnson

We are looking forward our way coming to you from the campus of Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. Hi. This is Brett. Carol and I just presented to the Otterbein Lifelong Learning Community as part of a panel discussion on retirement and encore careers and activities. We focused on our move into podcasting along with the 2 other LLC members focusing on their retirement projects. We had the opportunity to provide our insights into what a life path can look like and how to move successfully to your next adventure.

Brett, this was a great day spending time on my campus. I'm an Otterbein alum, and, we had A huge group of people. It was great fun talking about podcasting. And the, we have to shout out to the other 2 presenters who did a phenomenal job on their projects too. But I lifelong learning community is is a real special, has a very special place in my heart. And since we were already here and on campus and decided to do this podcast, We wanted to talk about all the the wonderful benefits of providing that are provided by lifelong learning type programs And, as well as, featuring some other educational opportunities that are in Central Ohio. Let's welcome our 2 guests, Dana Vieta, who is the executive director of engagement at Otterbein University in Westerville, and Kevin Byrd, who I'm not going to call Larry Byrd. I promise, Kevin Bird is a member of Otterbein's lifelong learning community and, lifelong resident in Central Ohio.

Correct.

Wonderful. Thank you both so much for being with us, and just say hello to our audience.

Hello. Thank you so much for having us.

Hello. And thanks for inviting me to be be a part of this. Good.

Well, we got a lot to cover today. First, let's give, Dana and Kevin an opportunity to tell them about themselves. Dana, how did your Career path take you to Otterbein?

Yeah. So thank you for asking. Well, ironically, I was a student at Otterbein, like Carol, I'm in the late nineties and, way after me. Just a little bit. Just a little bit. But, Yeah. I studied public relations, so that was my my discipline. And towards the end of my time, I interned in the office Sub admission and actually had the opportunity to work just like a regular job.

I traveled and recruited students, from Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Went to high school, college fairs. It was it was really, really great Experience, there at the end of my time as a student. And then following graduation, I started working in the admissions office. They had a position they offered me, which was great. And then after a couple years of being a road warrior, decided that it was time to move on and found myself, Transitioning down to Ohio State University, with a a nonprofit organization that started at Ohio State Called Mortar Board, a national senior collegiate honor society. And so I was the communications coordinator for there for about 4 years. And then from there, ended up, for about 11 years at WOSU Public Media.

So I was in the marketing department there, an associate editor, working on their magazine and helping with the radio and the television marketing. And about a decade ago, I decided I wanted to come full circle and come home to Otterbein and found myself coming back for a position in alumni relations.

So so Dana and I can do the o h I o Right. But we also do Go Cards. Go Cards. That's right.

That's right. Committed and loyal to both. Exactly.

Exactly. Exactly. Kevin, your career path.

Well, as, Carol mentioned earlier I'm a long lifelong resident of central Ohio, and I've lived in Westerville for about the last 20 years. I'm, 64 years old, knocking on the door of Medicare, and I've been married to my wife Christine for 23 years. I spent the majority of my professional career working for Mi Homes in the residential home building industry. I started there at a part time sales entry level position, and over the years worked my way up Through the up the ladder, and, when I retired there after 21 years, I was the vice president of sales and marketing. All of this with no college education. As such, the Otterbein LLC has been a real a very enlightening experience for me. I have been a member for about 3 years now and I enjoy it immensely as I'm always hungry to learn and to have new experiences.

Are are they paying you for all this great publicity? Because they should be. Goodness gracious.

No. I've I've just had a very positive experience.

It it It is. Yeah.

Maybe he gets a cup of coffee every once in a while.

There you go. There you go. Alright.

Alright. There are perks.

Yes. So So I'm an Otterbein alum, as I've mentioned often on this program. I'm really proud of this work that you're doing with older learners. In a previous, career I had at Ohio State, when I was in continuing education, I actually had the opportunity to support the program sixty Program, which is another local educational opportunity. Lifelong learning is key for all of us as we age gracefully, Engaging not just our minds, but also our emotional well-being. Dana, tell us about the LLC program at Otterbein. What are the goals and how is it structured?

People can get in. Parking's parking's really easy. And we also live stream all of our classes. So we can offer that to individuals who maybe cannot come to campus, for whatever reason. So we're we're proud that we're able to do that, which Was a pivot during during, the pandemic. The classes are usually different every week. We will do a topic perhaps Once or twice a semester, we'll have a topic that carries over 2 weeks or maybe sometimes 3 weeks depending on how expansive the topic is. But more more or less, they're 1 week topics, and that really allows us to provide A lot of different different topics, things that keep people interested in coming back because they know they're gonna learn something new every single week.

We also have, primarily classes are taught by our faculty at Otterbein. But we also have members of the LLC, And we'll occasionally also ask members of the community to come in and teach as well. So it's really a mix, but we do try to rely Heavily on and leverage the faculty that we have here at Otterbein, which was part of the original concept, that Alison and Becky had created. And At the end of the day, the goal is really to offer something for everyone. We think that our members are so, open to learning. And even if they even if there's a topic that maybe doesn't really resonate with them, they're gonna come anyway. They're gonna come to that class and say I'm gonna be open to whatever this topic is and hearing from the speaker and take something away from the experience. So that's that's really the goal.

Wonderful. That's good. Well, as you mentioned, the 2, if it's a different program every week, at least you kinda know it's not an accounting course every week.

Right. Right.

Sort of thing too. Well, as we've mentioned, this is more than just an educational program. Kevin, tell us what you've gained in your participation in the LLC. Are there other added benefits that your peers in LLC have mentioned?

Actually, the benefits to me have been quite numerous. First of all, as I said earlier, I like to challenge myself to learn new things, and that's one of the benefits of The LLC program, I'm learning about new subjects and new topics, and, I'm being exposed as a non college grad. I've I've been exposed to the collegiate experience on a level. And to being on a college campus, this is all very new to me. And I get the benefit of being taught by college profession professors and faculty. Mhmm. So On the educational level, those are some of the benefits. Aside from that, and this is something I didn't really Expect going in, but I've become part of a community of like minded people.

I've made new friends, and I'm becoming involved in other activities And events on the Otterbein campus, which the LLC program gives us access to and encourage us to Those of us to participate in. So those are those are some of the things that I didn't expect that I'm I'm getting out of the program.

You you are really opposed to a network of people that chances are pretty good you would have never been in that same sphere with them. And that's not just whether you've had any college background, but it's the fact that you hadn't been connected to Otterbein in any way, and now you suddenly have All of these folks who are in their own way somehow connected either through Westerville or through the the the university itself, it's a it's sort of an I find it just amazing to be able to not just learn a new subject, but to learn about someone else's life. I always said I'm a great networker because I'm inherently nosy and always asking people lots of questions. So you're you're finding out about What they did and what their career was, what companies they worked for, what other organizations they belong to, all kinds of things. Have your other the other members of the, LLC ever brought these kinds of issues up? I I don't know if it's ever been a discussion, Dana, if that's

I don't know if it's been a discussion, but I think it's just a very authentic thing that happens organically when we're in classes and when we open up for questions typically at the end, our members will frequently share something about their former life in work or in career, that gives everyone insight into the perspective that they're coming from, that that adds value to the conversation. And so, that's part of what I enjoy as well is just hearing everyone's different perspectives, what they did perhaps that, gives them some insight into whatever topic we're talking about, some historical Tidbit of something. So it really is. It's just it's really interesting to see the kind of what I would call the ecosystem of our membership That adds value to every conversation we have.

It's almost like it's growing organically. Yep. But it had to start somewhere, and all of a sudden, like, woah. This is going places. This is great. Yeah.

It's actually, amazing to me as I sit in the back of the room and listen to, Questions and comments from some of the people that are are participating in class. The there are a very impressive Group of people in that room, these are people who have had incredible careers and a wealth of Experiences, not only professional, but life life experiences. And we get the opportunity to all share in that and benefit from that. And It it really, makes you step back and think when you look around, wow, these folks have done a lot in their lives, and they're and they're still out there

Right.

Trying to learn more.

You worked for a very large corporation. I mean, Mi Homes is huge here in Central Ohio and at a High administrative level, but that's just 1 industry. All of the different industries that were represented in the audience we had today, it it's amazing. And some of those folks I know just because I would see them at alumni programs all the time and, or had they been on campus when I was a student. So it's, It it is an incredible opportunity within, an educational venue, which is not uncommon, But people don't know about it, which sort of goes into my next thought is that there are so many resources in Central Ohio. And these Educational programs are just one little tiny bit, but talk about mind or a life changing. It it is it it can really, Helped somebody's retirement quite a bit. So okay.

Alright. Dana, I'm sure that LLC members are not just Otterbein alumni, local residents also. But Otterbein is benefiting From those LLC members engaged in the campus, as Kevin just said, seeing all of these folks come in and Being engaged in what's going on, alumni are returning to campus. LLC members are engaged with traditionally aged students, And, members are learning more about Westerville and our Central Ohio community if they're not already living in this area. Do you have any examples of some collaborations that have happened through LLC?

Sure. So, yeah, we are incredibly fortunate that we have both Our own alumni and our community members, within the LLC, it just adds such a nice fabric to to the organization, and And we really value that. One of the well, I have a a number of examples. One that comes to mind first would be, our LLC Scholars program. This is a a group, within the LLC, helps our office select, a cohort of rising seniors at Otterbein who are, you know, they're they're they're working, they're studying, they're trying to do all the things to get across the finish line to graduation. And so a few years ago, we had some donors who wanted to, create an endowment that could help students. And so we have a committee of LLC members who help us select those Students. And so it's incredibly it's a wonderful program.

They get an opportunity to again interface with that student experience. And so, It's a great way that they are giving back, helping us choose those students, and then those students receive a monetary award to sort of help them with expenses during their senior year. So that's, something that we really enjoy. And then we try to bring those students at least once throughout the LLC year 2 something for the LLC so that our members have a chance to meet those students.

In in that I'm just gonna stop you for a second because this to me is so Important that students realize lifelong learning is important. They think they are leaving The the the university with a degree in hand, and they're never gonna have to learn another thing in their whole life. And then when I was The director of a nonprofit helping older adults find jobs. And I would say to them, well, have you done any training? Have you Ever taken another class? Have you ever done workshops or online learning, anything, and they they're it's like this blank look, and it's like, I have to still learn? Right. Well, yes. You know, you you have to

keep your mind engaged, and what a great way to show students that that's important. Right? And we We're very purposeful on the application process to cover those topics around lifelong learning. We want them we wanna make a point to them that, you know, this is This is something that will serve you well in life if you take this type of approach. And so we ask them specifically to answer Questions regarding lifelong learning, how they see themselves as a lifelong learner, how they see their future career Impacting lifelong learning and multigenerational, you know, audiences and people. And so we really want them to be thoughtful about that. And I think That also speaks to Otterbein's mission and values as well as that we we do feel it's really important to encourage that in our students. A few other examples, of our L. L.

C. Members, supporting Otterbein and and community. Many are theater patrons. They love our theater. I don't know Kevin if you I have. Attended theater. I have. But we have a world class theater here and so so many of them, are supportive of that program.

Senior college. I think that's a program that is similar, but different. That is an opportunity for, individuals, I think it's age 60 and over to actually come and take advantage of a full semester class, to sit in if space allows at the permission of the professor to come in and take a class, and kind of tape a much deeper dive into, a subject. We, another really neat example, a pretty specific example, but we had a group of LLC members who Became very involved and were patrons of our art galleries. Mhmm. And that group in particular, led some extensive work around cataloging a an exhibition that Otterbein, came into from the artist c y Wu is a Chinese artist. And Otterbein University and, the Cincinnati Art Museum are Have the 2 largest collections of this artist's work, paintings. And so our LLC members, the small group, actually helped With that entire cataloging process, supported the art department in their work to, intake And and curate, really, all of those pieces.

So that's a really cool example of something that they, you know and and I think the majority actually of those the members that helped with that are are not even alumni. So they really embraced, you know, that collaborative approach to being a part of the university. Our members are friends of the library, they're on the Common book committee, many of them when I say many, have helped our international students. When, international students come to Otterbein, a lot of times they might need picked up at the airport. They might not have anywhere to go for holidays like thanks giving, which is new and we want to expose that to, non American students. And so many of our LLC members help our students, our international community like That, gosh. What else? Many of them support our program fund for the LLC, so we have a fund that also just helps Our operational expenses to ensure that we're going to be able to keep the programming going. And There is also a small small group that, kinda serves as a steering committee for the LLC.

They help us decide, what kinds of programs we need to explore? Who else out there should we be asking to come in and teach us a class? And so it's a great sounding board for us to be able to get that exchange with our members and hear firsthand what they want out of their program. Mhmm. So Yeah.

Well, it seems that many retirees take advantage of the LLC type programs, or they volunteer in their community, or maybe they seek learning in other forms. Dana, we heard from some other LLC members on the panel earlier today. Can you provide us, maybe with some examples of how, the LLC program Has encouraged older adults to utilize that learning and possibly creating a new business or hobby or utilizing their learning experience to enhance, a local nonprofit or church or school.

So truthfully, this is an area that we probably need to explore more, But it's a one it made us really think about how we need to be able to connect those dots to see how our members are Taking what they're learning back out into the community.

Kind of an ROI feed

into it. Exactly.

On another level.

Exactly. Exactly. But, In a general sense, you know, a lot of our members, they will take what they're learning around the common book experience that we have, which, the freshman class that comes in, reads a common book, and then we have the author come to campus. Many of our LLC members purchase those books, Give them to friends and family and use that kind of as a an opportunity to, take that program out into the communities that they are in to share whatever the theme or the topic might be that year for our common book. Many of the topics that, we cover in the LLC. It really varies, but, like, for example, we had, an Emerita professor of religion do a Class last year on social justice in some of the world's, religious traditions. And so we imagine that probably that Can be a topic that they perhaps take back to their own churches, to their own communities, and, you know, talk about those topics. And we're always encouraging our members to take what they've learned and share it with people because that's the beauty of this.

It's it's about Going full circle and sharing what you've learned and enlightening someone else. So but it definitely is an area that we need

4 years, 2 years, branchly branch campuses. It it's It's everywhere. And, I really had a wonderful time working with program 60. Had, a very special Lady who was sort of the kind of the mom of program 60 for a long time. This was Decades ago, and missus McNamara sat in on a class quarter after quarter after quarter, and she kept sitting in the same class because she was Fascinated by the information. So in program 60 programs, the program, they're not getting credit, they're not paying tuition, they don't have to take tests, which is great, but it has it's with the Faculty permission. So missus McNamara was in this, criminology class for decades or I'm sorry, 4 quarters many quarters. And, finally, the professor said to her, well, missus McNamara, you're gonna go to another class.

And she said, well, no. I'm gonna buy the book for next quarter. And She was just absolutely fascinated by his lectures. But that is just, a way for her to have been engaged With the students in that class, she used to have a group of the kids every Thursday night at her house for dinner, And just giving back to those students who were away from family, who may never have been in a multi generational family situation, just bringing so much To their life. So program 60 and LLC and all of these different types of programs are giving back to the students in some way also. So it's not just where an older adult is taking advantage, and it's only on for those who are sitting in academic courses, it's only on a space available basis. Nobody's, You know, not getting their just, seats for the tuition that they pay. One thing that is different, As I mentioned, program 60 is sitting in an academic class.

So if it's an accounting class, they're doing accounting week after week after week. With LLC type programs, it's normally a variety of topics at each class, so it it's changing. Which is a very different concept, and different people would want either or both. So it it kind of meets different educational, wants or needs to for those for those, older adult learners. I'm gonna take a few minutes Here in and which I normally I talk a lot, but I don't normally take this much time in the middle of a podcast because I wanna get across to our our podcast audience About how important these programs are and how wide they are. Just here in Central Ohio, we not only have Ohio State's program sixty. Columbus State has the Good as Gold program, but also and as I mentioned, all of those other different, state schools throughout Ohio, but a a lot of the private schools have taken up the same thing. So at Otterbein, Dana mentioned, senior college.

So students are sitting in on on the regular, courses with permission. And, I believe capital has some. Ohio Wesleyan has in the past. Denison has programs. So there are it If you're in Central Ohio, it's all over. If you're not in Central Ohio, there are other programs. If you're in the state of Ohio, We are going to provide these, links and the resources on our website, for the podcast when this is, posted, but there is a program through the higher education office here for the state of Ohio, Which gives the lifelong learning programs and free course attendance throughout the whole state. There are dozens of programs throughout Ohio That you could take advantage of.

And if you're not in Ohio, chances are pretty good if you go to your state, website and into any of the educational, departments, they are probably gonna help you also. There's also programs here in the City of Columbus. And I've worked with these folks in the past, they're wonderful. It's called city wide training programs. And the reason I wanted to add this is that oftentimes, an older adult is job hunting. They need to be able to show Their skills are up to speed. And so a little training program here or there makes a big difference. Citywide training can provide that and the the Programs are free, and it's through the city of Columbus.

The other magnificent resource we have here in Central Ohio is the Columbus Metropolitan Library System. Again, if you're not in Columbus, you're not in Ohio, check with your library system. Columbus Libraries has a special relationship with what's called LinkedIn Learning, which used to be a a Privately held, organization, and LinkedIn brought it into their fold tens of thousands of courses that normally have Fairly high fees for, but with a library card from the Columbus Public Library, you could take these courses for free. And it is it is incredible. You could get certificates, And it's a way to document on your resume that you have up to date skills if you are job hunting for paid employment. For the again, for those outside of Ohio, check your libraries, check your local state department of education For adult services, adult service programs, and don't forget to reach out to your local county job centers, The Department of Labor for your state and any local nonprofits, they're gonna give you some other of these resources.

Alright. So Kevin, I've gotta ask you, and I I was thinking about this earlier. I was like, okay. I gotta I gotta insert this at the very end toward as we get toward the end of podcast. So We have listeners that are now it's like, I wanna do this I wanna do this LLC program. I or, you know, whatever program it might be. So kinda going back to when you started and Giving some advice, how does one approach coming into that very first LLC get together? Or, you know, before they get going in, and also what can advice can you give them to, okay, I'm the new kid in the room And keep going, because like you said, it it becomes a collective of people. You really get to know each other, but all of a sudden, you can feel like an outsider too.

So So can you give some advice in regards to how to start and how to get involved quickly to make yourself feel very comfortable that you you just continue to look forward to it every week?

Well, it can be a little intimidating, when you're considering the idea of jumping into a new venture, but I would advise anyone listening to give lifelong learning a try. Get out there, get involved. There's so much out there to learn. There are so many outstanding programs, as Carol has just mentioned. And one of the things I think you'll find is that although it's a little scary and it's a little intimidating, The lifelong learning community truly is a community, and it's a very welcoming community. It did not take me long To feel like I was part of this group, even though I was relatively new.

Wonderful.

I felt like I was, warmly received, And I think that that's what most people will find based on my experience.

Because it can be scary. A brand new Experience a brand new group of people that you have no clue who it is. And let's face it,

as we get older, we're we become a little bit More timid and and Sure. Reluctant to take chances. So it it can be a little frightening. But once you get over that hurdle, There's a lot out there to be learned and discovered. New friends to make, new contacts. As Carol has mentioned several times, it's networking. And just getting out there and have this having social interaction is is obviously a great thing.

And and there there are no mistakes In your decision making, whether you're doing LLC, where you're learning a lot of new things, whether you're doing senior college or program going into an academic class, you're not making any mistakes. You're not paying tuition, so it's not a a financial loss. And if you don't like it, you can walk away. It's not a big deal. But it you get so much more out of it than What Otterbein has to put in to to make it happen. I mean, what you are getting out of it is incredible. So Yeah.

Yeah.

Good for you.

Dana, any last words of advice as well?

You know, I just I'm so grateful to be a part of the program now. It's been it's a highlight of my week. I love the members. It truly is a community. That's one of the things I love the most is just, seeing everyone, checking in, how you doing, what's going on in your life? But I I think it really because of my belief that learning is just a gift. It's a gift that you give. It's a gift that you get. And, I just think everyone has sort of that mentality, and it's just It's really been a privilege to work with the program and to be involved in it.

And I see the curiosity in everyone's eyes and Their questions and it just it's very inspiring. It's just I come away every week from from the the class just Feeling really good about, you know, being there and being a part of the community as well.

It looks like it's going strong. And Carol and I looked in, it's like, This room is full.

It was. We had

Yeah.

60, 70, 80 people in there, and I had expected 10 or 15.

We didn't know what to expect. Yeah. Exactly.

Let me show you. Have about, I would say, between 15 to 30 online Watching us

well. Okay.

On Zoom.

So We had a great group.

Amazing.

Yeah. Yeah. Who knows what's hopefully, somebody will listen to this podcast too. I hope so.

Yeah. Uh-huh.

Any other Words of

advice? One of the, one of the other things I've noticed is that, when we do Get to be taught by faculty or professors. In speaking with them after the classes, they seem They don't they're not there because they have to be there, they're there because they want to be there, and they're there because they've talked to Fellow members of the staff who've who've taught before the LLC, and have had good experiences, and the good experiences are that Everyone who's there wants to be there. They're there they're not there because they have to be there, they're there because they want to be there. They're paying attention, they're inquisitive, they ask questions, they're involved, and I think the presenters Feed off of that and I think that's invigorating and hopefully rewarding for them. And it shows in the types of presentations that we get.

Wonderful. Wonderful. Audience, I I hope that this is going to spur you on to, Think about joining an an LLC type program in your community. And, hopefully, somebody's gonna be calling Dana and saying, hey, I wanna do this And and get involved so, you know, that that would be wonderful. We'd love to hear more about that. Many thanks to our guest experts, Dana Vieta, executive director of engagement for Otterbein University, and Kevin Bird, member of the Otterbein lifelong community for joining us today. Listeners, thank you for joining us. You can find the podcast show notes and information we discussed today on our website at looking forward our way.com, And we're looking forward to hearing your feedback on this or any of our podcast episodes.