Celebrating Returning Adult Learners Class of 2025

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 14:42:06 -0400
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At the close of each semester, the Women’s, Gender & Equity Center proudly hosts a Graduation and End-of-Year Celebration to honor the accomplishments of students in our Returning Adult Learners (RAL) Program. This year, in keeping with tradition, we celebrated our RAL Scholars and Affiliates with a Spring ceremony.

These celebrations are a recognition of hard work, resilience, and the power of community. Returning Adult Learners are undergraduate students over the age of 25 who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree. Many have paused or delayed their educational journey due to work, family responsibilities, or other life circumstances. Now, they’ve returned. Often balancing school with jobs, caregiving, and other commitments to pursue their goals and dreams.

The Women’s, Gender & Equity Center has been proud to support these students through scholarships, individualized advising, and programs tailored to their academic, personal, and professional journeys. Workshops cover everything from career planning and financial wellness to community-building events that foster connection and affirmation. The RAL Program is grounded in the understanding that education is not a one-size-fits-all path. Every returning student brings something unique and valuable to our campus.

We’ve heard from several graduating students who have reflected on their journeys. Many spoke about the supportive community they found at UMBC, through mentors, peers, and clubs. Others say UMBC gave them the “space to grow, find my voice, and truly focus on my academic and personal goals.”

We are so proud of all of our RAL Scholars and Affiliates, especially those who graduated this year. Your persistence, wisdom, and courage inspire us all. To our graduates: Congratulations on this incredible achievement. And to our continuing students: we’re cheering you on every step of the way.

Interested in joining the Returning Adult Learners Program? We welcome you to learn more and reach out to the Women’s, Gender & Equity Center. We’d love to support you on your journey!

We invite you to join us in celebrating the amazing students in the RAL program and all their hard work. Below are some of this year’s graduates sharing, in their own words, what they were involved in at UMBC, their graduation plans, and advice for current Returning Adult Learners.