Three siblings ranging in age from 27 to 42 graduated this week from William Paterson University, which is spotlighting their achievement as an adult learners success story.
The close-knit trio — Kevin Anthony Jones, Ebony Campbell and Monique Jones, all from Newark — were among more than 2,000 students receiving degrees at the Prudential Center last week.
It was a feat made possible in part by online learning, school officials said.
The three siblings each attained undergraduate sociology degrees via the university’s five-year-old WP Online program, which offers more flexibility than traditional classroom classes and has proven especially popular with adult learners, according to the university.
More than one-third of students in William Paterson’s Class of 2025 were adult learners, who are defined by the university as students older than 24 when they enrolled to pursue a degree.
Kevin Jones, 42, said he dropped out of college two decades ago but found success running an organization that provides community-based support and mentorship for children and teens with behavioral issues.
He decided he wanted a degree “for himself, his children, and the youth he mentors” and convinced his two sisters to join him at William Paterson, the university wrote in a graduation day recap that also included interviews with his two sisters.
While three siblings getting degrees on the same day is unusual, the rise in recent years of adult learners — often referred to as nontraditional students — is a well-documented trend at William Paterson and elsewhere.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last week the Opportunity Promise Scholarship program enabling students between the ages of 25 and 55 to attend community colleges for free, provided they are pursuing degrees in teaching, nursing, engineering or other in-demand fields.
At William Paterson, campus officials said WP Online is a key element in the school’s strategy. The university has more than doubled its campus percentage of adult learners since launching WP Online for graduate and undergraduate students in the spring of 2020.
Programs are completely online, with seven-week accelerated sessions and multiple start dates throughout the year, the university said. Traditional classes are usually 15 weeks.
Students may transfer all earned credits but must meet the requirement of at least 30 credits earned at William Paterson, which requires 120 credits for undergraduate degrees, the university said.
Sociology, the field in which the three siblings obtained their degrees, is among the 19 undergraduate degrees available through WP Online.
The tuition rate for the 2025-26 academic year is $372 per credit.
“We’ve been very intentional about our work in this area, and we’ve created an online structure that’s adult-friendly, family-friendly, and career-friendly,” said Joshua Powers, William Paterson’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Of the 3,218 adult learners enrolled at William Paterson as of the spring semester, 1,877 or 58%, were attending classes via WP Online. About 1,610 of the adult learners, or about half, identified as Black or Hispanic, while 19% had dependents.
The three siblings who graduated from William Paterson are parents. Jones is the father of four. Ebony Campbell, 39, has two children. Monique Jones, 27, has an infant son.
All three had some college experience prior to enrolling at William Paterson, which is not unusual. The university launched its College of Adult and Professional Studies in July 2024 with the aim of reaching some of the 750,000 New Jersey residents who have some college credits but no degree.
Ebony Campbell received an associate’s degree in paralegal studies years ago and works with the Morris County Superior Court in the family division.
“I was contemplating going back to school, but the time management with work, and family,” she said in the university’s graduation recap. “I needed to get it done.”
Monique Jones enrolled at William Paterson in 2016 after receiving an associate’s degree, but left without graduating and took a job with the IRS. Her goal is to work for the FBI, a job that requires at least a bachelor’s degree, the university said.
“I love the study of social behavior and of different cultures, and I thought it was important to study that,” Monique Jones told the university.
For the three siblings, the family’s academic celebration this spring is not limited to the three graduations. One of Kevin Jones’ four children, and one of Ebony Campbell’s two children, are graduating from high school in June, the university said.
Stories by Rob Jennings
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com.