Returning Adult Learners are identified as undergraduate students over 25 seeking their first undergraduate degree. The RAL Program at the Women’s Center offers monthly workshops and programs focused on the academic, personal, and professional aspects of life as returning students. Topics include career navigation, networking events, financial management, and personal well-being and care. These students are called “returning” because they often have different circumstances that kept them from the traditional college path and they are now “returning” to college to pursue their degree. Graduates have spoken highly of the RAL program saying it “provided a supportive community” where they have “developed lasting connections with fellow students.” Others have said they “found a welcoming environment that understands the unique challenges and perspectives of returning students.”
At the end of every semester, the Women’s Center hosts a graduation/end-of-year celebration for RAL scholars and affiliates. As per tradition, we hosted two celebrations this year in both the fall and spring to recognize the returning adult learners in our program. We were honored to have David Mister from the UMBC class of 1970 as our keynote speaker for the Spring ceremony.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the amazing students in the RAL program and all their hard work. Found below are 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.
Women's Center at UMBC 