During the 2024 seminar season, Cynthia LaConte has set a new Bjorklunden record for the number of seminars taken during one calendar year. Eight in all — quite an accomplishment! Though setting a record was not her goal, Cynthia’s enthusiasm for her experiences is inspiring for all lifelong learners. Below is a brief interview of Cynthia done by Sue Pappas:
Susan Pappas (SP): What has been your connection to Door County? Have you had any previous experiences with Bjorklunden prior to this year?
Cynthia LaConte (CL): We’ve had a place in Baileys Harbor for the last 20 years, yet the only experience I’d had with Bjorklunden was walking its lovely trails. I am recently retired, and this is our first year living up here full-time. So, when I noticed an ad in the Pulse for classes at Bjorklunden, I was intrigued.
SP: How did you select the seminars that you took?
CL: I love to learn, but as a business owner, I had always been pressed for time and tried to align any educational opportunities with my company’s interests. But that changed when I retired. It had always been a luxury to imagine taking a class without any expectation of having to advance a specific goal. Now my only goal has been to delight myself, and I’m definitely accomplishing it! I signed up for eight seminars in subjects where I had little or no previous experience. I’ve completed five to date, and each of them has given me a new way to think about the world. And the very best ones have ignited a spark of curiosity inspiring me to learn more.
SP: Has there been an important take-away from your learning experience?
CL: People say knowledge is power, but I’ve come to believe that knowledge has power — the power to transform. Knowledge that is learned and shared in a setting of community becomes an expression of love and understanding. It creates a bond. And in our digital world, this has never been more critical.
SP: Can you share an important take-away from your “summer of seminars”?
CL: One of Bjorklunden’s major educational missions is to foster “the cultivation of sound judgment and respect for the perspectives of others.” To me, it is achieving this mission. For people longing for face-to-face connections that leads to a better understanding of the world around us, I cannot recommend its seminars highly enough.
