Retirement Reinvented: How Lynn Loud Became a Road Scholar Ambassador
- Follow the inspiring journey of a retired teacher who transforms her life through educational travel with Road Scholar.
- Discover how she embraced lifelong learning and built a vibrant community of fellow adventurers with Road Scholar ambassadors.
- Her story highlights the joy of discovery, connection and finding new purpose in retirement.
When Road Scholar Lynn Loud retired from her career as an elementary school teacher in Boise, Idaho, she faced a new reality she hadn’t expected — she was bored.
“I retired from being an elementary school teacher and was a workaholic,” says Lynn. “My life revolved around being a teacher, a mother and a wife. And all of a sudden, I had all of this free time — and I was depressed.”
As an active person who loves to be around other people, Lynn knew she had to keep herself busy. She decided to join her local YMCA, and it was there where she met a group of older women who took her under their wing. One afternoon, she overheard them talking about a trip they were taking to Scottsdale, Arizona with Road Scholar. Little did she know that the course of her retirement years would change dramatically when one of her new friends asked her an exciting question.
“Do you wanna go?”
Discovering the Joys of Learning and Travel
While Lynn didn’t have any particular urge to visit Scottsdale, she loved to travel and knew that this group of women would be the perfect companions for an adventure. Lynn’s husband was always more comfortable at home and wasn’t as keen on traveling as she was. With her arrival in Arizona, Lynn knew that Road Scholar learning adventures would quickly become a part of her life.
“I loved it,” says Lynn, a member of the Road Scholar Class of ’17. “We had so much fun. We then traveled together for a few years, until the pandemic happened.”
Since her initial program, Lynn has joined Road Scholar for an additional 13 learning adventures, journeying to Scotland, Italy, Tanzania and the Galápagos Islands. Along the way, her traveling companions have included her friends from the Y, her daughter, her sister… and even her husband.
“My daughter and I were going to Italy to celebrate her 40th birthday and my 70th birthday — it’s not the same day but was in the same year,” says Lynn. “And my husband said, ‘I want to go too!’ He loved it. So since then, we’ve gone to Mesa Verde and we’ll be going to the national parks in Utah for our 50th anniversary.”
Lynn Becomes a Road Scholar Ambassador
As Lynn continued to learn and travel with Road Scholar, her enthusiasm grew.
“With Road Scholar programs, everything's taken care of,” says Lynn. “I found myself talking all the time to people about Road Scholar. People would ask me about my recent trips, so I’d tell everyone. I'm still in touch with even my very first students, who are now in their 50s. My former school principal just got back from her second learning adventure!”
When Lynn learned about Road Scholar’s ambassador program, she knew that with her teaching background and enthusiasm for travel, it would be a great way to fill her free time. Road Scholar ambassadors are participants who volunteer to share their program experiences with local groups that may also be interested in learning and travel. Alumni groups, libraries and clubs often call on Road Scholar ambassadors to present to their organizations.
“I love, love, love learning,” says Lynn. “I'm an educator and I love the creative end of being an ambassador. I love putting together PowerPoints and tailoring each presentation to what the group is interested in. And I put lots of time into it.”
A member of a teacher sorority, Lynn created a presentation for the group about her Road Scholar program in Tanzania. “They wanted to hear all about Africa,” says Lynn. “So, I made an educational ‘trip’ to Tanzania for them. My sister and daughter are very knowledgeable about animals and nature, so I was able to talk with them and do my own research — and of course share what I learned with Road Scholar.”
Lynn has also shared her experiences in the Galápagos Islands with other groups and is able to tailor any of her presentations — in person or online — to a group’s needs and interests. She is sure to let grandparents know about Road Scholar’s grandparent programs and provides information about scholarships and caregiver grants to folks who may need it.
Pioneering Road Scholar Alumni Groups
With social connection being an integral part of the Road Scholar experience, the ambassador team wanted to create more organic ways for participants to meet up and connect with other Road Scholars in their region. In the fall of 2024, an idea to create Road Scholar Alumni Groups was formed. Each group would be led by an ambassador, who would organize get-togethers for people to connect and share stories about their learning adventures. Lynn Loud has been one of the pioneers of this initiative.
“When they asked if I’d be interested, I said, ‘Sure! What do I do?’” says Lynn. “And they said, ‘We don’t really know yet!’ So we met online to talk about ideas. There’s another ambassador in Seattle and one in Ohio who are also creating local groups.”
Between Lynn’s outgoing personality and emails from Road Scholar, participants in the Boise area soon had an invitation to meet up with other Road Scholars at the local library.
“There were about 25 people who came,” says Lynn. “We did sort of a round robin and introduced ourselves, said where we had been with Road Scholar and how many trips we’d taken.” They also had a laminated world map where group members could place a small adhesive-backed gem on the destinations they'd explored with Road Scholar.
“As we went around the group, I asked people why they liked Road Scholar,” says Lynn. “And it kept coming back to the same three things: having all details taken care of, the Group Leaders and the people. They love the people that go with Road Scholar.”
Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
When one of the attendees mentioned that they would love to do some activities together with other local Road Scholars, new plans for get-togethers were formed. Since their initial meetup, the Boise Road Scholar Alumni Group has taken a day trip to the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, had a picnic in a local park and visited the local food trucks.
At their next meetup, Lynn has asked group members to send her three photos from their Road Scholar programs. She plans to add these photos to a PowerPoint so everyone can see them clearly at their next meeting — and offer members an opportunity to talk about each adventure and what they loved about it.
“One new member shared that when she talks to her relatives about her trips, they listen but pretty soon they’ve heard enough,” laughs Lynn. “But when you get together with alumni, everyone is saying, ‘Oh yes, tell me about that one!’ And you can share. No one ever gets tired of hearing about it!”
While Road Scholar Alumni Groups are still in their infancy, enthusiasm for the idea has started to spread. And as Lynn finds new members joining her Boise group, she is actively looking for new places for them to visit — and she encourages members to spread the word.
“When you’re getting together with other alumni, you're getting together with people with the same kind of values, who love to travel, love to learn,” says Lynn. “Road Scholar people just tend to be very warm and very accepting. Why not search those people out and surround yourself with them?”
Learn More About Road Scholar Ambassadors
We currently have Alumni Groups starting up in Boise, Seattle and Ohio, with others soon to come! If you’re interested in learning more or would like to know about joining our Road Scholar ambassador team, we’d love to hear from you!