As a school psychologist and special education administrator with
35 years of experience mostly on the West Side, Dianne Yonkers
knows better than most the difficulty that life transitions can
cause. She has helped countless students transition from
elementary to high school and beyond, and well understood the
importance of planning and organizing her post-retirement life.

A 2006 retiree, she knew that after a
busy career, she wouldn’t be happy with a leisurely retirement.
Instead, she has made a second career out of volunteer and
community service work. She currently holds a position as a
Director at the Retired Teachers Association of Chicago,
volunteers at West Side high school and at her church. She is an
officer in her Delta Kappa Gamma chapter and recently has become
active in Exodus World Services, an organization that helps
refugees make the transition from their native lands to the USA.

“Exodus works with other agencies and helps fill in the gaps in
the transition period for new refugees,” she explains. “Exodus
finds and furnishes apartments for refugees and provide six
months’ worth of household goods. In addition, Exodus volunteers
serve as a social safety net, helping refugees learn what it
means to be an American. We help get their children enrolled in
schools, find doctors, provide practice speaking English, and
provide support and networking to help the new Americans navigate
the transition to an entirely different culture. We help families
understand what it really means to pursue the American Dream.”

Her busy schedule and activities have meant that the years have
flown by, and she can hardly believe it’s been more than a decade
since her retirement, but she has no plans for slowing down.
“Working with the kids in schools and volunteering keeps me
young,” she explains. “I’m lucky to have this time to give back
and stay active. I’ve been lucky to replace my full-time job with
fulfilling work that has kept me active in my community. I intend
to make the most of these years.”