Beverly Gummer

In 2000 my husband and I moved from Regina to Edmonton.  I didn’t know a single person!

Then one day more than a year later, I was driving in my car and the radio started talking about this organization…ELLA.  When I got home, I phoned the ELLA office and a lovely volunteer gave me lots of information.  Immediately I knew it was something I would thoroughly enjoy.  I bought a membership and chose four courses I was interested in, and in late April I entered the Education Building on the U of A campus. On my first day I met two friendly gentlemen who engaged me in a chat. I learned they were both in their nineties!  For a brief moment I thought I was perhaps jumping the gun as I was only in my fifties. Indeed I was not, and I soon discovered there were people from fifty-five all the way up to their late nineties.

My fellow classmates came from all sorts of backgrounds, careers and places, all with one thing in common – the desire to learn.

Over the years I have taken everything from music, art history, religion, math, creative writing and English literature plus much more…even line dancing!    One area I haven’t dipped into is the many hands-on art classes.  Maybe the reason is the end-of-term art show which is truly amazing and awe-inspiring. Maybe one day when I really want to challenge myself perhaps, I’ll give something in that domain a try!

One of the most amazing things about ELLA is that it is organized, managed, and run by volunteers, many volunteers.  I have served on some ELLA committees and one time I put together a history of ELLA with the help of one of the founders.

My first year at ELLA was the organization’s second year.  Since then, I have only missed one spring session and that was due to illness.   In recent years I have also joined Zoom classes in the winter.

Not only have I learned a lot, but I have met amazing people and made steadfast friends. I once even met a woman who had worked for CSIS! 

ELLA has truly made a huge difference in my life.