Rising numbers of nontraditional students attending college and a desire to continue the Never Too Late (N2L) program propelled San Jacinto College Central Campus to introduce the Lifelines organization.

N2L was formed by former San Jac faculty member, Kaye Moon Winters. With her retirement, the program disbanded and Lifelines was created in its place by College Preparatory professor and faculty advisor Karen Boyce.

“Kaye Moon Winters had empathy for nontraditional students,” Boyce said. “It was the empathy that led her to found the Never Too Late Program.”

Lifelines was created as an extension of N2L, where students entering college with challenges of transitioning and juggling an array of responsibilities, form networks of support with other students of parallel backgrounds.

Professor of economics, Dr. Delwin Long said Lifelines is evolving and broadening N2L’s original purpose by integrating generational diversity. The aim of the organization is to provide nontraditional students with the appropriate assistance and resources to remain successful.

“Income, academic ability, skill set, and work/life experience are variables which cause many students to be viewed as non-traditional,” Long added.

The organization hopes to impact SJC students by allowing them to “find a place where they can network with students of similar life circumstances,” Boyce said.

Since the birth of Lifelines in fall of 2015, the group continues to seek new members. The organization will participate in a resource fair of student organizations and recruitment March 2. Central Campus is the only location hosting the organization at this time.

“I believe this is an organization that can be an asset to help students make friends on campus and be confident with having a student life, as well as being academically successful,” Boyce said.

The category of scholars targeted to participate in the organization proves challenging as nontraditional students have little spare time to partake in additional college events and associations.

“All the things that make us a group also work against us,” Boyce added.

The academic and social goals of Lifelines are geared toward meeting its members’ educational objectives as well as social networking with others who share similar circumstances.

“The organization is a hub of the academia and social communities,” Boyce said.