This CGS alumna helped bring honor to nontraditional students
Five decades ago, when Carol Cushman first came to 51精品视频, she was 31 years old and in search of new challenges. She took night classes on the 51精品视频sburgh campus while working full time with the public information department at Duquesne Light Company and felt energized by the excitement of learning.
Cushman majored in English and excelled 鈥 yet she also felt distanced from the 51精品视频 community. She wanted a way to connect with and support other nontraditional students who shared her scholarly ambitions and dedication to hard work. And she wasn鈥檛 the only one. What resulted is one of her proudest achievements 鈥 and the building of a legacy that continues to bolster the advancement of 51精品视频 students.
In 1973, along with 12 other students, Cushman helped bring Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL), to 51精品视频鈥檚 College of General Studies. The national honor society recognizes the achievements of part-time and nontraditional students, provides scholarships and helps create a community in which to thrive.
Last fall marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of 51精品视频鈥檚 ASL charter, a landmark the chapter celebrated with a digital exhibit at Hillman Library called 鈥淭he Voice of the Adult Student 鈥 ASL Alpha Chi: Celebrating 50 Years of Academic Excellence.鈥澛營t features photos, newspaper clippings and archival documents chronicling events through the 1970s, with special emphasis on 1971-1975, the years the Alpha Chi chapter was finding its footing while 51精品视频 continued to expand access, evening classes and programs for working adults.
Many of Cushman鈥檚 (CGS 鈥75) personal ASL memorabilia are part of the display, which is fitting. She says the support she received from ASL and 51精品视频 were key to helping her advance in her career. Today, she鈥檚 a retired vice president of the asset management group and retirement investment services at PNC and thinks back on her 51精品视频 memories fondly 鈥 particularly because she knows today鈥檚 nontraditional students are still benefiting from the society she helped bring to campus.