The Coast News recently profiled Betty Yost, the first president of Learning Is For Everyone (LIFE) at MiraCosta College, who turned 100 this year. A lifelong learner, Yost’s curiosity began at age six and continued through careers in medicine, teaching, and community service.

After serving as a Navy hospital corpsman during World War II and later as a medical researcher, Yost became a professor of microbiology and organic chemistry. In 1995, she launched LIFE’s first lecture, eventually serving as president for two decades.

LIFE, which offers free weekly lectures for North County seniors and is supported by the MiraCosta College Foundation, also funds student scholarships and fosters social connection to combat isolation.

Yost credits learning and community as the keys to a full life. “Socialization is an important part of being,” she said. “You need other people to bounce off.”