From the Director - January 25, 2019
Greetings on this snowy morning!
With winter classes underway, I’m thrilled to say that with the support of our members, OLLI at WVU is continuing to grow and prosper. We have 700 members today and have already surpassed the number of members that we had at the end of last year. We have welcome over 200 new members so far who now enjoy the fun and adventure that OLLI has to offer.
More members means larger enrollments and more wait lists for many classes. Fortunately, we have been able to secure a couple of larger classrooms for the short term. Our facilities and finance committees are analyzing the situation and exploring what more sustainable options be might available.
But we need your help. In order to make the best decisions, we need to know who our members are and what they want.
You may have read in OLLI Connections earlier this month that we have welcomed some WVU students to assist the staff and committees with a couple of projects this winter and spring. Two of those students, Lyndsay Bonomo and Bailey Johnson, will be leading an OLLI member survey. I will let them introduce themselves below.
Working with our membership committee, Lyndsay and Bailey are compiling a list of questions designed to help OLLI learn who our members are and how we can better serve them and the surrounding community. The team will then administer the surveys via email, phone, and in person over the next few weeks. Although the survey is optional, we hope that our members will recognize the importance of OLLI collecting the information. Answers will be kept confidential. If you have any questions or concerns during this process, please contact me at jascenna.haislet@hsc.wvu.edu or call 304-293-1793.
Thank you for your continued support and involvement.
Jascenna Haislet
Director, OLLI at WVU
Lyndsay Bonomo
My name is Lyndsay Bonomo and I am senior here at West Virginia University. I am from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I am majoring in Public Health and minoring in Business Administration. After graduation, I am planning to attend graduate school to obtain my master’s in Healthcare Administration. My career goals include becoming a hospital or nursing home administrator. In my free time I enjoy doing anything outdoors such as camping, kayaking, or hiking. I also enjoy spending time with my one-year old puppy, Ada!
Bailey Johnson
Hello! My name is Bailey Johnson, and I am a senior Public Health student at West Virginia University who will be assisting the marketing department at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in membership survey design and distribution. I will be graduating in May 2019 and continuing my education in the fall with the goal to receive a Master of Health Administration. I plan to work in the geriatric setting upon completion, as much of my studies and personal experiences have confirmed my decision to do so. In my extremely limited spare time due to my personal attempt to balance of school and work at Mapleshire Nursing and Rehabilitation, it is likely that you’ll find me at the gym, running around campus, a local coffee shop, or spending much-cherished time with family and friends. I am very excited to become part of OLLI’s mission and even more excited to interact with members to improve each individual’s learning experiences within this organization!