I am honored to have been chosen as a recipient of an Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarship award as a student attending Rider University’s College of Continuing Studies. Being inducted into the Omega Alpha Sigma Lambda Honors Society has provided this opportunity to be a recipient of this generous award. My passion and determination to complete my education has contributed to my academic success.

“Making the decision to come back to school to complete my academic career has its challenges, especially as an older adult and a mother of an eight year old daughter. However, my passion for Applied Behavioral Analysis and to help children with disabilities has driven me to succeed.”

I desire to contribute more to our family needs and finishing my degree will enable me to do that. After overcoming adversity growing up, I did not have the financial support to be able to go to college after I graduated High School, thus pushing my schooling off further. My husband is older and it is difficult for him to continue working two jobs at his age. We also have an eight year old daughter that is ill and is currently being treated at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Being awarded this scholarship will definitely aid in some of the financial burden that comes along with attending school. I am deeply grateful for that!

I transferred from Bergen Community College, but it had been twelve years since I had been in a classroom as a student. Since I have returned to Rider University in the fall of 2017, I have a 4.0 GPA. I am a full time student, ready to complete my last semester as an undergraduate at Rider. Besides having the honor of being inducted into the Omega Alpha Sigma Lambda Honors Society and now being a recipient of a scholarship award, I am a member of Psi Chi International Honor’s Society for Psychology, an Andrew J. Rider Scholar in the top 1% of my class, have made the Dean’s List every semester, and have also had the honor of receiving the Shirley Johnson Prize award in Psychology for the highest GPA.

“Coming back to Rider has opened doors that I didn’t even know were possible for me.”

I have always wanted to work with children with disabilities. I have been volunteering with Thea’s Star of Hope for nine years now. I was trained in how to care for Thea, a little girl with an Optic Glioma brain tumor. I also volunteer at Limitless Behavioral Services in Lawrenceville NJ, where I help children with Autism and other disabilities with social skills on Saturdays.
Through the science of Applied Behavioral Analysis, these individuals can be empowered to become independent and self-sufficient. They deserve to be able to function in society and feel confident in their ability to do so. Although I want to work directly with Autistic and disabled children, there are various settings and professions that ABA can be used. ABA is not limited to Autism. Learning and studying the science of Applied Behavioral Analysis these past two years, I have come to realize the endless possibilities and miracles that exist for individuals with disabilities using ABA. This would never have been possible, had I not come back to complete my academic career.

“I could not be completing my academics without the financial assistance from Alpha Sigma Lambda Honors Society. For that, I am forever indebted with gratitude to Alpha Sigma Lambda.”

Alpha Sigma Lambda awards scholarships to assist nontraditional students financially while earning an undergraduate degree. You can help by making a donation and help us provide scholarships to other students like Carolyn who are continuing their education.