Shirley Forrest
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When Shirley Forrest looks back on her years with ELLA, what stands out most isn’t a single class or moment—it’s the feeling of belonging. Over the past decade, she’s taken close to forty ELLA classes, each one opening a door to new ideas, fresh perspectives, and fascinating people. Forrest finds it incredibly difficult to choose a favourite. What she can say with certainty is that “ELLA didn’t just feed my curiosity; it introduced me to friendships that have lasted well beyond the classroom.”
Her involvement took off immediately. In her very first year, she was unexpectedly “volunteered” to be a Course Host. Taking the role seriously— ”perhaps a little too seriously”— the week before Spring Session, she met the instructor on campus so they could familiarize themselves with the classroom. Everything seemed perfectly planned… until the first day of class.
At the very last minute, she discovered the classroom had been moved from the EHCA Building to the Education Building. Somehow, the instructor hadn’t been informed. As she positioned herself in the new classroom, worrying whether students would find their way, she waited. As class time approached and the instructor hadn’t arrived, she called him—only to learn he was across the street in EHCA, setting up and wondering where his students were. When he realized the mix-up, he packed up and rushed over. She ran outside to meet him, spotted him on the opposite side of the street, impatiently waiting for the light to change. Forrest can laugh about it now. “We both dashed back into the building—and incredibly, the class started on time. It was stressful, comical, and unforgettable.” It also taught her that ELLA runs on dedication, flexibility, and a shared commitment to learning.
That spirit was tested in ways none of the volunteers could have imagined during Forrest’s time as President in 2019 and 2020. In March 2020, with Spring Session ready to launch, the pandemic brought everything to a halt. ELLA refunded registrations and lost a full year of volunteer work. “It was heartbreaking. Yet out of that disruption came transformation.” Led by Walter Archer, ELLA pivoted to online learning in the fall of 2020. Volunteers, instructors, and students launched into learning Zoom. Information sessions for instructors made way for this contingent of ELLA to meet each other. Together, the board “re-imagined how learning could happen. It wasn’t easy—but it was necessary, and it worked.”
As Forrest completes her first decade of volunteering—having served as Course Host, Vice President, President (twice), and then Past President in 2021/2022, along with roles on several committees, she says, “I remain hopeful. I hope ELLA continues to offer both in-person and online Spring Sessions for years to come.” ELLA thrives with its dedicated community of volunteers, enthusiastic instructors, and curious attendees. “Continuous learning matters, especially for seniors, and the chance to connect and form new friendships is truly priceless.”
Looking ahead to 2051, the fiftieth anniversary, one thing Forrest knows for sure is this: “Seniors will still love learning. The methods may change—perhaps even involving highly knowledgeable robots as instructors—but the curiosity, community, and joy of learning that define ELLA will endure. Whatever the format, I trust the heart of ELLA will remain the same: learning, connection, and community.”
[ Interviewed by Rusti L Lehay ]