Julia Lewis, President

GREETINGS !

Welcome to the website of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College, usually called ASPEC. My name is Julia Lewis and I have the privilege of serving as the President of ASPEC, a unique lifelong learning community, located on the beautiful campus of Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“Lifelong learning” to my way of thinking, is the key to enjoying a meaningful, active and intellectually stimulating existence, regardless of age. ASPEC is a group of like-minded, retired or almost retired professionals, who share the desire for such a lifestyle and we make it happen.

The Academy, now in its 30th year, enriches the lives of its members by providing us with opportunities to serve the College, the community, and to meet our own intellectual and social needs. On campus, we participate as teachers and learners in our own Interest Groups with subjects as diverse as Visual Arts and Philosophy, History and Readers Theater. We work closely with Eckerd College students, and frequently function as mentors, role models, and classroom discussant colleagues.

In the community, we work at “giving back” to a broad spectrum of social service agencies, schools, and health related facilities. Our recent activities, as mentors and tutors in a local elementary/middle school, have resulted in ASPEC being nominated as Community Partner of the Year, in 2012.

ASPEC members sponsor and/or participate in social and cultural activities which enrich our lives and allow us to bond in very special ways. These events enable us to develop close friendships and we often become each other’s support system and surrogate family.

I hope that my message will stimulate your interest in learning more about ASPEC. Please call or visit us on campus at Lewis House, our activity center. Our contact information, including my email address, is listed below.

Warmly,
Julia Lewis

Main Number-727 864 8834

Email Address - juleye@mindspring.com

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Ken Wolfe, Director

I am the Director of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College, which we call ASPEC.

We are a well-established lifelong learning community with almost 300 members and associates and a successful 30 year history.

Our core mission is to provide lifelong learning to our members.  Our lifelong learning is built on interest group discussions, and we have 25-40 interest group meetings every week. These are normally led by members who have an avid interest in the group’s subject matter. Occasionally we bring in outside speakers who contribute unique intelligence to a subject.

We also work as volunteers on the Eckerd College campus and in the local community. On the campus we serve as discussant colleagues, working with professors in selected classes where our perspectives enhance the students’ learning experience. In the community we provide counsel and support to a variety of educational and charitable institutions.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions you have about ASPEC. My contact information is below.

Ken Wolfe

Email wolfefk@eckerd.edu

Phone 727 864 8834