Seniors college registration open

Shelly Ellis has a different concept of what a senior citizen looks like these days

Shelly Ellis has left Seniors College of P.E.I. courses with a huge smile on her face and with tears in her eyes, but she has always left with a glad heart.

Shelly and her husband, Clarence, have become strong advocates for the college that opens for registration on Sept. 4.

Shelly is a retired acute care psychiatric nurse who a number of years ago, in the span of three days, lost hearing in one of her ears after contracting a virus. In reviewing the seniors college program a couple of years ago, she noticed courses that dealt with hearing loss.

“I cried the first class I went to, to hear other people talking about things only I thought I was struggling with,” said Shelly.

“Clarence took the course with me so it could help him understand what I had to deal with.”

The courses on hearing loss weren’t the only ones she has attended. During the three 2023-24 college semesters, she took 12 courses while Clarence took 10.

“It has impacted our lives so positively,” said Shelly. “There are just so many things now that we have in our lives that led from seniors college.”

EXPANDING HOBBIES

Courses she took on writing and watercolour painting enabled her to continue and expand her interest in those hobbies with people she met through the college.

“I had never held a paintbrush in my hand before last September, and other than my husband, I have fallen in love with it.”

Tai chi and Scottish country dancing are two of the couple’s favourites. Tai chi helps with their physical fitness; the dancing continues a passion they have had since they met in their early 20s.

“I never danced a step until I met my wife,” said Clarence, who grew up in Charlottetown. He fell in love with Shelly and dancing, and through the years they have taken lessons on jive dancing, the fox trot and other types of dancing. Scottish country dancing, which they say isn’t as intense as other types of dancing, is their current favourite.

LIFELONG LEARNING

After getting married in the early 1980s, Shelly and Clarence moved to Nova Scotia for employment opportunities, but nine years later, with the arrival of their son, Samuel, they returned to Prince Edward Island and lived in Winsloe for a number of years before moving to Ebenezer 16 years ago. Samuel is now a university student.

Clarence, 67, was a mechanic during his working career, just like his father, Alden.

“I was self-taught.” Later in his career he learned to enjoy taking courses on the automotive trade.

He also found time to be a Scout leader for more than 20 years.

Shelly, the daughter of George and Florence (Ferguson) Mcnichol, is an example of lifetime learning. At age 44, after their son turned 13, she took a deep breath and enrolled in the nursing program at the University of Prince Edward Island.

“It was intimidating. The first time day I can remember looking around and thinking, ‘What in the name of heaven

nd was I thinking? What am I doing here?”

Shelly graduated from the nursing program in 2007 and nursed at Unit 9 in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and later at the Hillsborough Hospital until retiring in 2022.

CONCEPT OF SENIORS

Shelly laughs that her idea of what a senior citizen looks like has changed greatly from when she thought someone age 40 was ancient.

“Now I think that 40 is just a baby, you don’t know who you are yet!”

As a young woman, she loved and looked up to her grandmother, Agnes Ferguson.

“She was the picture of old age to me. She sat in a rocking chair; she had beautiful stony white hair and glasses. She baked cookies. She was just the perfect Nana. Now, holy cow, I’m a hiker, biker, kayaker. … I just can’t imagine slowing down.”

As much as Clarence loves dancing and tai chi, a course he strongly recommends is one on personal financing presented by Blair Corkum. It is one of approximately 150 widely varied courses on offer.

The college tuition is $170, which entitles people to enrol in as many courses as they wish during the fall, winter and spring semesters.

“It is just such a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for people our age,” says Shelly. “For anyone who retires, there is no need to be lonely because isolation is the worst killer. We are social beings. When we go to seniors college classes, we see people that we know from other classes and from previous years, and you get to make new friends.”

PREPARE IN ADVANCE

College vice-president Kate Gordon says it is important people prepare for registration day by paying their tuition in advance, which leaves them free to concentrate on course selections.

College president Shirley Pierce agrees.

“While registration starts at 9 o’clock on Sept. 4, people should have their favourites listed beforehand and be ready to hit the button to register. It is important to have a strategy.”