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President's Pen - Spring 2026

A row of students in black graduation caps and gowns sits in seats in Antrim Chapel and they are listening intently.

Let ‘life happen’ at Roanoke

This summer, while visiting the Virginia Department of Transportation, I met an impressive woman, likely more than twice the age of a traditional college student, who was an enthusiastic Maroon. While she had not graduated from Roanoke College, she was eager to share her unfolding story. She had attended Roanoke College for several years and had terrific success, but she interrupted her education because, as she said, “Life happened.” For many people, the college journey gets sidetracked by a health issue, financial stress, family care matters or a host of other events that emerge unexpectedly.  

The Maroon I met at VDOT is still holding out hope, all these years later, for online, weekend or evening courses to complete her Roanoke College degree, and she is not alone. There are more people in America who have started college but left without earning a credential – 43 million – than there are residents of California, and that number continues to grow, according to a 2025 study by the Lumina Foundation. 

This is why Roanoke College has launched Roanoke College—Roanoke Valley (RC-RV), which will focus on delivering industry credentials, certificates and price-differentiated online degrees. Our efforts have been emboldened by a generous $1M gift from Peter Treiber ’79 and his wife, Irene.   

RC-RV embodies the number one imperative in our strategic plan, “Imagine Roanoke”: to become Roanoke Valley’s most sought-after educational partner by industry, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. To deliver on that imperative, folks like the Maroon mentioned above are essential partners in the mission. Yes, wooing adult learners is good business when traditional-aged students are experiencing a precipitous decline, but our guiding light at Roanoke College is to serve our community. This includes making Roanoke College accessible to learners whose lives or circumstances make the traditional residential format prohibitive. 

We have a saying in our family, often used around the dinner table when seemingly disparate opinions need to share the space: “Two things can be true at the same time.” And so it goes at Roanoke College. While we’re being wildly creative about engaging every potential learner beyond the traditional structure, we’re still deeply committed to our historic residential liberal arts experience. That’s why our second imperative is a resounding doubling down on this commitment: “To develop an on-campus residential experience that is an exemplar of a 21st century learning laboratory—beautiful, integrated, practical, and inspiring.”  

So stay tuned, stay involved, and find a way to join us as a valued partner. There’s nothing we want more at Roanoke College than to be the place where ‘life happens’ for our whole community. 

With hope, 

Frank Shushok Jr.

This column was originally published in Issue One, 2026, of Roanoke College Magazine. You may read the full issue on the magazine archives page.