Whether you want to learn about business administration nonprofit development, graphic design, or home gardening, UNLV Lifelong Learning is here to make that happen. 

With a mission to upskill the future workforce and provide personal enrichment, Lifelong Learning serves the Southern Nevada community, including anyone from working professionals and career changers to retirees. 

With the launch of its new Learning Lab model, the program is elevating its coursework by bringing in UNLV alumni as industry experts. In these non-credit education offerings, students learn through applied, project-based coursework. They make connections with professional alumni who bring mentorship, industry perspective, encouragement, and realistic insight to the classroom.

Rebels Forever

Through the Learning Lab, UNLV graduates are returning not simply as guest speakers but as active collaborators in Lifelong Learning courses. Their involvement strengthens the university’s connection to Southern Nevada while demonstrating the value of alumni leadership and service.

“The Learning Labs create a bridge between education and experience,” said Nicole Hudson, executive director of UNLV Lifelong Learning. “It is a meaningful way for alumni to give back to the university, support lifelong learners, and help strengthen the connection between learning, career growth, and community.”

Two alumni course collaborators are Monique Smith-Sarr and Hoffman Madzou, who are guiding students through labs focused on leadership, management, nonprofit development, and grant writing. 

Smith-Sarr is a Ph.D. candidate, podcast host, and mentor with a master’s degree in urban leadership from UNLV’s Greenspun School of Public Policy and Leadership. She views herself as a coach for learners.

“An instructor is teaching the material already, and I’m coming in to apply it,” she said. “We’ll go over case studies, thought processes, and make sure students know both what they’ve learned and what experiences they can apply.”

Madzou is a first-generation student and a local charter school board member with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a concentration in finance, bringing extensive experience working with nonprofits and corporations. 

For Madzou, the Learning Labs are a way for students to upskill and give back to their communities. “The more students continue to learn, the more they're going to grow into a new world. They’re going to say, ‘I want to help the culture. I want to help shape the new economic development of Las Vegas.’”

Both Smith-Sarr and Madzou lead labs in management, leadership, nonprofit development, and grant writing, topics in which they offer a breadth of experience.

“I’ve had a lot of experience with nonprofits, especially, and I was part of the finance department for 100 Black Men of America, Inc.,” Madzou said.

“For me, we’re coming in to talk about real-world situations to anticipate,” Smith-Sarr said. “Talking about HR policies, how are we going to handle this FMLA situation? How are we going to address an issue with the Americans with Disabilities Act? How are we going to ensure there are reasonable accommodations? 

“We want to prepare them as much as we can so that they go into the workplace and have the confidence to face the things they may encounter.”

Both mentors spoke warmly about the chain that brought them here — those who have coached and prepared them to give back to other Rebels. 

“I returned to UNLV because faculty and staff poured into me. I wanted to honor that legacy by mentoring others. Offering that same empathy, that respect, that real-world applications and guidance, it's just so invaluable,” Smith-Sarr said. 

Both course collaborators emphasized that the Learning Labs offer a new style of learning.

“Sometimes all it takes is one class, one specific lesson, or one specific teacher to change your worldview on a topic. That is why people need to be lifelong learners,” Madzou said. “You need to continue to learn, because the world is developing. As you learn, you will understand not only how to walk through that world, but to perfectly position yourself to be successful in the future.”

Smith-Sarr added, “The labs offer a supportive program that connects students with a community-based focus. It’s a way to showcase your skills and learn new ones.” 

Community and Flexibility

For Ken Lange, a longtime educator, nonprofit leader, and Lifelong Learning’s Instructor of the Year, the Learning Labs are a pathway for students and professionals to strengthen their careers while deepening their connections to the Southern Nevada community.

After more than a decade teaching through Lifelong Learning programs, Lange now leads several courses within the nonprofit management certificate program, bringing years of real-world leadership experience into the classroom. His background includes serving as an executive director, board chair, and mentor for numerous nonprofit organizations across the region.

“As students move through these courses, it’s important to make sure they have a pipeline outside the organization,” he said. “The program helps students build bridges to the world. Lifelong Learning is designed to integrate with the community and draw in people, and once we make the connection, it should take off."

Alongside his teaching schedule, Lange also helps develop new curricula focused on organizational innovation and strategic visioning. His approach centers on flexibility in response to student needs, something he said makes the Learning Labs model especially impactful for adult learners and working professionals.

“One of the really great things about Lifelong Learning is listening to the students,” he said. “It’s not, ‘I’m going to teach the same course every time.’ If students have different goals or different levels of experience, we adapt to meet them where they are.”

That adaptability is helping students gain practical skills they can immediately apply in their careers, Lange said.

“If you want to take it to the next level,” Lange said, “where do you go? UNLV Learning Labs. Build your toolbox,” Lange said. “Get the certificates to build a platform.  When you walk in for the job, you can say, ‘I can do this.’”

“You’re worth the investment,” Smith-Sarr added. “You’ll never go wrong with investing in your education, your learning, or your growth. It’s how you make things happen.”

A Call for More Alumni Involvement

Like Smith-Sarr and Madzou, Lange believes the Learning Labs are a vital way for UNLV alumni and community leaders to stay engaged with the university while investing in the next generation of the workforce.

“Knowing you’re in a community of people who care about Southern Nevada and the well-being of everybody — that matters,” he said.

Madzou encourages other alumni to become involved as course collaborators. 

“I believe in the growth of UNLV,” Madzou said. “There are so many first-generation students here like me, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to help them out, so that while I had to run, they can just walk.’”