Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

January 21 – Tessa Carr
Exploring Vaccine Hesitancy Through Theatre

January 28 – Taylor Duncan
Alternative Baseball: Inclusion on the Field

February 4 – Mary Dansak
The Writer’s Path: A Personal Journey

February 11 – Lane & Bil Sauser
Practicing War: Love Letters from a GI

February 18 – Celestria Hill
Empowering Communities: Common Power in Selma

February 25 – OLLI Travelers
Reflections from Greece: OLLI Abroad

March 4 – Tamara Martin
Comfort and Courage: The HERO Facility Dog Program

January 21, 11:30 AM Exploring Vaccine Hesitancy Through Theatre

Tessa Carr and Abdul-Khaliq Murtadha with the Mosaic Theatre Company have created a short performance exploring vaccine hesitancy in older adults, based on interviews conducted at Sunny Slope. This original piece brings community voices to the stage, blending research, storytelling, and performance to encourage reflection and conversation. Auburn University Pharmacy faculty will also attend to answer questions following the performance.

Dr. Tessa Carr is the chair of Auburn University’s Department of Theatre & Dance and Co-director of Mosaic Theatre Company. The company’s mission is creating original work fostering conversations about urgent social issues in hopes of crafting lifelong alliances in the community. Learn more about Mosaic Theatre Company.

January 28, 11:30 AM – Alternative Baseball: Inclusion on the Field

Taylor Duncan is an inspiring young man who has done an extraordinary job creating, organizing and leading the Alternative Baseball Organization (ABO) for intellectually disabled and autistic men and women. A high-functioning autistic adult himself, Taylor is an excellent spokesperson and advocate for the players on ABO teams. The Auburn area is home to a local team, the Auburn Pilots, coached by a former Auburn University baseball player.

Taylor Duncan is the CEO and President of Alternative Baseball Organization. Under his leadership, ABO expanded to more than a dozen states and became an associated member of the World Baseball Softball Confederation.

February 4, 11:30 AM – The Writer’s Path: A Personal Journey

Local author and OLLI member Mary Dansak shares insights from her writing journey and the creative process behind her work. In her recent work, Box Turtles, Hooligans, and Love, Sweet Love (2025), Dansak weaves her love of nature and personal anecdotes into a collection of short stories that is both fun and informative.

February 11, 11:30 AM – Practicing War: Love Letters from a GI

When Lane Sauser discovered five little bundles of letters tied with pink and blue ribbons, she unearthed a World War II–era story of wartime sweethearts—her parents. The love letters, written by her father to his sweetheart back home, chronicle a long-distance courtship through military training, bitter combat in France and Germany, and the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp. This moving memoir captures how love and faith endure amid war.

Sauser will be joined by her husband, William “Bil” Sauser, as co-presenter. Copies of Practicing War will be available for purchase.

Dr. Lane Sauser is Director Emerita of Business and Financial Administration, College of Agriculture, Auburn University, a retired CPA, and an amateur genealogist.

Dr. William Sauser is Professor Emeritus of Management in the Harbert College of Business, a licensed psychologist specializing in organizational psychology, and a commissioned pastor of the Union Springs Presbyterian Church.

February 18, 11:30 AM – Empowering Communities: Common Power in Selma

Celestria Hill is a Senior Associate with The Institute for Common Power, a Selma-based organization dedicated to advancing civic engagement, social justice, and educational empowerment through community partnerships and leadership initiatives.

A passionate community builder originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Celestria earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education with a minor in African American Studies. Before joining Common Power, Celestria taught elementary and middle school in Frederick and Baltimore Counties, where she worked in a social-emotional learning (SEL) behavior program and witnessed firsthand how mentorship and guidance can transform students’ outlook on education and life. Now living in Montgomery, Alabama, she is helping to revitalize Selma through Common Power’s Scholars in Motion initiative - fostering connection, empowerment, and positive change across the region.

February 25, 11:30 AM – Reflections from Greece: OLLI Abroad

Join OLLI travelers as they share highlights and reflections from their November 2025 tour of Classical Greece. Hear stories, see photos, and enjoy a glimpse into the cultural and historical wonders they experienced together.

March 4, 11:30 AM – Comfort and Courage: The HERO Facility Dogs

Tamara Martin is a dedicated facility dog handler for the HERO Program, a statewide Certified Facility Dog Program executed by the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services and funded through a grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). She was instrumental in launching the first statewide facility dog program in the United States, named after her original facility dog, Willow.

With over 40 years of experience in the criminal justice system, Tamara has worked extensively with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Through the HERO Program, she and her facility dog, Yahini, help victims of crime, especially children, feel safe, supported, and empowered while navigating the court process. By creating a calmer, more comfortable environment, HERO dogs help ensure that victims can share their stories accurately and with confidence. Learn more about the HERO Program.