There are moments in academic life that stay with you long after the program ends and the degrees are conferred. Last week’s Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society Induction at Gardner-Webb University was one of those moments.
Alpha Sigma Lambda has been honoring adult learners since 1946. It is the oldest and largest chapter-based honor society in the nation, dedicated to recognizing the academic excellence of students who balance their studies with work, family, and community responsibilities. Its mission is simple and powerful: to honor achievement where it is often the hardest earned.
I have always carried deep respect for this population. Early in my career, I taught evening courses in Queens University’s Hayworth College for adult and continuing education. One of those courses was “nursing chemistry,” a hybrid of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and basic biochemistry required for nursing students. Those nights taught me something I’ve never forgotten: adult learners are among the most determined, focused, and purpose-driven students we will ever serve. They showed up tired, hopeful, disciplined, and often carrying entire families or careers on their backs. They were doing work that mattered, because it was tied to improving their lives and the lives of those who depended on them.
Years later, I had the privilege of being inducted myself as an honorary member of Alpha Sigma Lambda while at Queens. It remains one of the recognitions I value most, because I knew firsthand the grit and discipline that defined the students who stood beside me.
A Night of Recognition and Rising
At this year’s induction, standing in Dover Chapel with our new members and their families, I was reminded again of something I said in my remarks: adult learners do not stumble into education. They choose it. They choose it knowing the cost, the time, the sacrifice, and the uncertainty. They choose it because something inside them says, This matters. This is worth it.
And that choice deserves to be seen.
In my remarks, I reflected on the “overview effect,” a phenomenon I learned about from Neil deGrasse Tyson and his book Starry Messenger, astronauts describe when they reach orbit and see Earth from above. It is not the full panorama you get at graduation, but nights like these, ceremonies, pauses, recognitions, are part of the ascent. They are the moments when learners can look out and realize:
I am higher than I thought.
I am further than I realized.
I am still rising.
Beyond “Traditional” and “Non-Traditional”
For decades, higher education split students into two categories: “traditional” (18–22) and “non-traditional” (everything else). The division was tidy but inaccurate. Those lines never captured the real story.
Today, I prefer the phrase modern learners.
Modern learners are not defined by age. They are defined by complexity. They are caregivers, employees, parents, active-duty military, first-generation students, online students, returning students, and everything in between. Many of our so-called “traditional” students increasingly experience the same pressures: working 20–30 hours a week, supporting family members, or managing significant responsibilities.
The students inducted into Alpha Sigma Lambda last week are the embodiment of the modern learner. They carry a determination shaped not despite life’s demands, but through them.
What This Night Reminded Me
Sitting in the chapel, watching each name called, hearing the pride in the room, a few truths rose to the surface:
1. Modern learners expand our definition of academic excellence.
Excellence is not just GPA. It is persistence. Adaptability. Time management. Grit.
2. Higher education must design with these students in mind.
Flexible pathways, online and hybrid options, prior learning assessment, competency-based education, responsive advising—these aren’t luxuries. They are essential.
3. Recognition matters.
Celebrating adult learners sends a message to every student who wonders if they can do it: Yes. You can. Look at them. You belong here too.
4. Universities thrive when we embrace every learner’s story.
The ceremony was filled with families, children, coworkers, and friends. It reminded me that the success of one student is often the victory of an entire community.
Final Thoughts
Remarks from an Assistant/Associate Dean or Provost are often short, but I do feel they carry weight. This year, mine ended with a simple truth:
You are rising. And we are proud of you.
In a time when higher education is asking deep questions about relevance, value, and the future, nights like this remind us of why we do the work. Adult learners, modern learners, stand as proof that education still transforms lives, families, and futures.
May we continue designing institutions that honor their commitment, recognize their excellence, and make space for every learner to rise.
