LeNelle Martin

Fifty years later and I can finally say I am a college graduate. I got my BA in English at the University of Idaho in May 2011 on the 46-year plan – brief flurries of taking classes, followed by long periods of no classes, then changing majors, taking more classes, then no classes, then changing majors again, and repeating until I eventually settled on English as a major and finished the job. It was interesting, to say the least, to sit in classes with fellow students who could have been my grandchildren, but they were consistently kind to the gray-haired lady in their midst.

After retiring from full time work at the U of I in 2009, I worked part time for three years as the editorial assistant for the analytical chemistry journal Applied Spectroscopy, electronically processing manuscripts submitted for publication from all over the world. Now that I’m fully retired I enjoy traveling with friends and family, with the Idaho Roadrunners, and with Road Scholar programs. I also enjoy serving on the board of trustees for the Latah County Historical Society, volunteering at LCHS events and helping with the Society’s collections. I (sort of) learned to play bridge a couple years ago, but I really love playing pinochle with a senior citizens group now on Saturday afternoons. I only hope I can age as gracefully as some of those card players. Someday I may get caught up with landscaping plans and renovations to the house – or maybe I won’t. I’ve been blessed with wonderful family and reasonably good health and hope to participate in class reunions for years to come.