Member Spotlight: Gail Yokote

Meet World Traveler and OLLI Member Gail Yokote

“Since I’ve been introduced to OLLI it’s been great,” says Gail Yokote. A member of OLLI at UC Davis for only a year, she is already volunteering as the interim secretary for the OLLI Board of Directors. Since retiring from the Shields Library at UC Davis, Yokote has been busy. With a recent adventure to Costa Rica already under her belt and a trip to Northern Ireland scheduled for the fall, she still manages to fit in two to three OLLI classes per quarter.

What do you find most valuable about OLLI?

The wide variety of classes and the participants are friendly. You get to share stories with people who are highly knowledgeable and learn from them. Courses are more enriching because you learn from the instructors and classmates.

What’s unique about OLLI at UC Davis?

Lisa [the OLLI director] is very engaged, devoted and enthusiastic about the program. There is a great community of faculty, members and volunteers, and she does a lot to infuse that. It creates a nice balance.

What do you like most about the courses?

I like the wide variety of classes, especially the field trips—there’s a diversity of topics and opportunities to learn.