Thursday, May 15, 2025
Adam ’08, ’15 and Kimberly Lucas ’08, ’13 credit the University for personal and professional success
by Rachel Stengel '14, '20
When Adam Lucas ’08, ’15 and Kimberly Lucas ’08, ’13 cross the Commencement stage this May, they will have accumulated a total of six degrees from Rider. Both studied educational leadership, with Adam earning his doctorate and Kimberly earning her master’s in the subject. Though it will be the third time each has graduated from the University, this one will be particularly meaningful.
“This time will be our last time; we're doing it together and we're graduating in front of our kids,” says Adam Lucas.
It’s safe to say that the Lucases are lifelong learners. Both began their Rider journey as education and English double majors after transferring to the University in the fall of 2006. One literature class brought them together that spring, a class Adam Lucas fought to get into and Kimberly Lucas wanted to drop.
“It’s always something we reflect on and say, ‘Well that was meant to be,’” says Kimberly Lucas.
Rider has been transformative. It's given me a career and a family and many things that I am forever grateful for."
Rider was the starting point for their story and now, more than 15 years later, it remains a significant force in their lives. Adam Lucas has worked for Rider’s College of Education and Human Services for more than a decade. He returned to his alma mater in 2012 to pursue his master’s in clinical mental health counseling and secured a graduate assistantship the following year, which led to a full-time job in Rider’s Office of Field Placement and State Certification. Since 2018, he has served as the director of clinical internships, where he assists students in finding counseling and school psychology placements, and managing relationships with local mental health agencies and other fieldwork sites.
“I serve as a bit of a bridge for students who are stepping out from the faculty-led classroom to the real-world setting where they're going to work,” he says. “A good internship or a good placement can lead to jobs waiting for them when they graduate. It's really awesome to see, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Kimberly Lucas has been a teacher specializing in reading and literacy for nearly 20 years. She is currently a literacy intervention coach for K-5 in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, where she’s worked for 13 years. She has continually given back to the University by speaking to current students at a variety of professional development events and welcoming Rider education and school psychology students in her classroom, even winning an award from the College for her dedication to preparing future educators.
“I work with a lot of Rider graduates and a lot of Rider education students walk through our doors,” says Kimberly Lucas, who also holds a master’s in reading and language arts. “One of the things that I really do love about the University and have loved since I visited it back in 2006 is just this feeling of warmth. The professors are extremely warm, extremely knowledgeable, and I have enjoyed staying connected to Rider over the years and continuing to learn and grow.”
Beyond their professional careers, the couple has enjoyed making Rider a special place for their children, Aidan, 8, and Ainsley, 4, by exploring the campus’ scenic nature trails and participating in University events like the student radio station’s annual Easter egg hunt.
The connections they’ve made through Rider are innumerable, with many proving particularly impactful. When their son was diagnosed with special needs, the couple turned to colleagues within the College and those in local school districts for guidance and support to help him thrive.
“Many of the faculty and staff have contributed to our success or our family,” says Adam Lucas. “This is a place that if you come and you engage, it's another home. It's another part of your family for the rest of your life. I believe that because I've seen it happen to me. Rider has been transformative. It's given me a career and a family and many things that I am forever grateful for.”