Passion for lifelong learning drives LifeQuest 'cheerleader'

Ann West is volunteer coordinator and co-chairman of the curriculum committee for LifeQuest of Arkansas, a nonprofit, low-cost, continuing-education organization for those with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Ann West is volunteer coordinator and co-chairman of the curriculum committee for LifeQuest of Arkansas, a nonprofit, low-cost, continuing-education organization for those with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

Ann West's passion for LifeQuest of Arkansas grew from her husband's enthusiasm for the continuing education nonprofit.

"He would come home and he would talk about all the lectures, all the things he'd learned, all the classes," West recalls of her husband, Rod Cottrell. "And I thought, 'Ah, I would love to do that.' ... I'd heard several people say, 'Have you been to LifeQuest?' or 'We've done this or that,' so I kind of knew about it. But then he would give me reports [on] what a great time he had."

West is now in her 14th year as a volunteer for LifeQuest.

Located inside Second Presbyterian Church, LifeQuest offers a diverse class curriculum encompassing subjects such as history, acting, nature, art, music, cooking, bridge, yoga, tai chi, dining (with various chefs at restaurants) and even smartphone-use workshops at a low cost. Regular classes are taught in the meeting rooms of the church. The program targets retired adults -- the average student age is 74 -- but all ages are welcome.

After an early retirement, West began going to LifeQuest classes and ended up teaching a class herself. The former board member now volunteers as co-chairman of the curriculum committee, whose job it is to create the curriculum for the eight-week winter, spring and fall terms and four-week summer terms. The committee also recruits volunteer instructors for the classes.

"And I love it," West says.

LifeQuest was once considered Little Rock's best-kept secret. "We don't want it to be a secret. We want people to come," West says. "LifeQuest is important to me because I really enjoy learning new things, hearing good discussions, considering different points of view. Working with intelligent, informed and creative people ... is a privilege."

Founded in 1981 by 11 interfaith congregations and originally known as The Shepherd's Center of Little Rock, LifeQuest has an average annual enrollment of 2,000 during its four terms, including the summer term that recently ended. The fall, winter and spring terms each attract between 550 and 650 students, says Executive Director Emily Ingram, who is grateful to have West on hand to help steer classes along.

'DREAM VOLUNTEER'

"Ann is the dream volunteer that every nonprofit longs to have," Ingram says. "She not only shares her time and talent with us but also serves as our biggest cheerleader. She is always out in the community sharing about our program with everyone she meets -- recruiting new members and new instructors. We love her enthusiasm."

A native of Washington, West lived in Columbus, Ohio, as a child, attended high school in El Paso, Texas, earned a mass communications degree from Lamar University and worked in a variety of capacities before coming to Little Rock 33 years ago. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, West worked for the Arkansas Department of Human Services before retiring. Nowadays she also volunteers as a mediator, as a docent at the Arkansas Art Center and as an usher for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Many instructors are retired professors from area universities, West says. Then there are the journalists. Behind the Headlines is the name of a class by Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist John Brummett, coming up in the fall. This class has to be held in the church sanctuary because it draws more than 300 each week. The fall season will, in fact, mark Brummett's 20th anniversary year teaching for LifeQuest. A dinner in his honor will be Nov. 9 at the Clinton Presidential Center.

One Wednesday-morning summer class she coordinated, Chewing the Fat with Rex and Paul, was taught by Democrat-Gazette senior editor Rex Nelson and Paul Austin of the Arkansas Humanities Council. The men discussed interesting places in Arkansas as an offshoot of their radio segment and podcast of the same name. "That's a new class for us, and [was] very, very popular," West says.

Fall classes include a look at building restoration, a class offering a look inside city government, a heart health class and Great Con Men, the newest edition of a recurring class taught by various judges and lawyers.

Sports Talk is another among the most popular classes. "In the past, I've had classes at the same time as Sports Talk. Some women ... come to me and say, "Oh, I'd just love to come to your class but ... I'm going to Sports Talk because that's where the guys are,'" West says, adding that LifeQuest has spawned romances "and a few marriages."

SIGN ME UP

Class planning involves a lot of front-end communication to determine factors such as class titles, times and dates. Then come the logistics -- showing new instructors around, charging the speaker's microphone, picking up checks. For the most part, West's work goes smoothly. "I'm always a little apprehensive because there are things that can go wrong. ... Usually they don't."

And luckily, the organization doesn't have to beat the bushes for people to teach. Sometimes, people come and ask to present a class. "Sometimes I will be in the community hearing a speaker doing something, and I think, 'Wow, this might be a great class for LifeQuest.'"

She credits LifeQuest for many friendships she has made.

"Being a part of an organization that is welcoming, exciting, always supportive of new ideas, and where you feel appreciated is very important to me. I believe that what I do makes a difference in other peoples' lives, and that feeling alone makes my efforts worthwhile," she says.

The LifeQuest fall term runs Sept. 13-Nov. 2. Registration is $65 and entitles students to sign up for as many classes as they'd like. Call (501) 225-6073 or visit lifequestofarkansas.org to register.

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A paper-crafting class is among the offerings touted by Ann West at LifeQuest of Arkansas, a continuing-education nonprofit.

High Profile on 08/13/2017

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