Lifetime Achievement Honoree Sybil Coleman ’64: A Legacy of Helping Students Flourish

Over the decades, Coleman has become one of the College’s most influential alumnae. As a student, she competed on one of the most successful women’s athletic teams in Gordon history, and later helped to progress women’s athletics as coach and director. Then, after 24 years in professional social work, she returned to her alma mater in 1989, where she spent more than three decades preparing future social workers and mentoring countless students, both inside the classroom and around her own dining room table. 

This fall, Gordon will recognize that extraordinary legacy with its Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award. Ask Coleman what she hopes people remember, and she'll tell you about learning to listen before speaking, coming alongside rather than trying to rescue, and recognizing that every person is made in the image of God. In this Q&A, Coleman talks about those simple convictions, and the generations of students whose lives she’s touched.

As a Gordon alum, what stands out most when you think about your own Gordon experience as a student?

Gordon was a haven for me.

It was here that I grew in my understanding of God’s Word, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the beauty of Christian community. I found classmates who were deeply committed to serving others, whether through ministries like Pine Street Inn or in everyday acts of compassion.

One lesson has stayed with me for years. A man from a homeless shelter once told my students, “When you see me on the street, you don't necessarily have to give me money. Just look at me and say, ‘Good morning.’ I’m not a stone. I’m not a piece of wood. I’m a person.”
That captures so much of what I hope students learn: to truly see people.

Looking back, I loved my years working in social work, but when Gordon invited me to teach, I simply prayed, “Lord, if this is where You want me, I'll go.” It has been one of the greatest joys of my life.

You helped break ground for women’s athletics at Gordon, first as a student-athlete on a team that still holds the record for the most successful seasons in Gordon’s history, and later as Director of Women's Athletics and coach of multiple varsity teams. What do you remember most about those early years, and what changes have been most meaningful for you to witness over time?

As a student-athlete, I loved being surrounded by people who had passion, commitment, and expertise. It was a joy to compete alongside them.

When I became a coach, however, much of my role became advocating for women's athletics to be valued, recognized, and supported—not just in words, but through resources, opportunities, and respect.

What has been especially encouraging is the culture. Today you see men’s and women’s teams cheering each other on, students filling “the Pit” to support athletes, and a genuine sense that these teams matter to the campus community.

Even after retiring, I wanted student-athletes to know someone was paying attention. For many years, whenever I saw a Gordon athlete mentioned in the newspaper, I would clip the article and send it to them through campus mail. Years later, former students still tell me how much those clippings meant. Sometimes the smallest acts of encouragement remind someone that they’re seen, valued, and supported.

How did your experience as a student influence how you invest in and care for your students today?

I think it starts with recognizing that we need to know where a student is coming from and treat them with grace. We need to listen to understand, not just to respond, give advice, or try to fix things. Listening to and understanding the person is so important.
Part of what taught me that came from my own experience as a transfer student from New Brunswick, Canada. Before coming to Gordon, I had been a music teacher, teaching 2,500 students in grades one through twelve. When I arrived at Gordon, I found that many things were simply different.

For example, in English class, I once lost points on a paper because I spelled words using British English rather than American English. No one ever sat down with me to ask why I thought differently, spoke differently, or wrote differently.

Those experiences stayed with me. They taught me how important it is to understand someone’s background before making assumptions.

I also came to Gordon knowing I would receive no financial support from home because my father didn’t want me to attend school in the United States. I had given up scholarships to come to Gordon. That was a difficult season because no one was coming alongside me at that point, and it made me realize how significant the decisions our students are making can be.

Between my own experiences as a student, my background in social work, and the people I’ve walked alongside over the years, I’ve learned that caring for students begins with listening, understanding their story, and meeting them with grace.

Before joining Gordon’s faculty in 1989 as a professor of social work, you spent 24 years working directly in the field of social work. How did those firsthand experiences shape both your understanding of people and the way you prepared students for the realities and responsibilities of serving others through social work?

One of the first things I tell students is that there’s only one Savior—and it’s not you. Sometimes people think helping means, “I’m up here and you're down there.” But our Lord came to serve, not to be served. We are called to come alongside people, not impose our values on them. We can help them think through options, ask good questions, and support them, but we have to let people make their own decisions without shaming or condemning them.

Another lesson I learned during my years in social work was the importance of understanding systems. People’s lives are shaped not only by individual choices, but also by their families, their communities, their culture, and the larger systems around them.

I often use the example of an economic recession. Someone loses a job, financial stress increases, relationships become strained, destructive behaviors may emerge, and those effects ripple all the way down to children. On the other hand, something like a scholarship or support from a community can strengthen an entire family. One system affects another, and understanding those connections is critical for a social worker. I think if you asked any of our graduates whether they understand systems, they’d say, “Absolutely.”

One final lesson I carried from my years in practice is that you cannot maximize all values simultaneously. I still hear former students repeat that phrase back to me.

In social work, for example, two important values can come into conflict: protecting a child’s safety and preserving the stability of a family. If a child is being abused, you cannot fully preserve both at the same time. You have to choose the course that does the least harm and protects the most vulnerable.

I use everyday examples with students, too. For example, If you fail an exam because you spent the night watching Netflix instead of studying, you were trying to maximize two competing values at once. We all face those kinds of decisions. Learning to recognize competing values and make wise, compassionate choices is part of becoming both a good social worker and a faithful follower of Christ.

Across your years as a professor, you’ve undoubtedly impacted many students. Are there any student stories or moments that especially stay with you? 

There are so many students who come to mind.

One student entered my introductory social work class with not understanding homelessness very well. As part of the course, students completed volunteer hours serving people in the community, and I encouraged him to spend his time working with individuals experiencing homelessness in Boston.

That experience changed him. He came back with a completely different understanding. He met people who had lost jobs because of illness, people who had experienced family rejection, and people whose lives had been shaped by circumstances far beyond what he had imagined. It reinforced one of the most important lessons I hoped every student would learn: that every person has dignity and worth, and that we have to understand the systems shaping people’s lives before we make judgments about them.

My favorite memories are of students that were often in our home. We’d host game nights, and what started as a handful of students would sometimes turn into dozens. Those evenings built relationships that lasted far beyond graduation. Even now, former students invite my husband and me to concerts, sporting events, and other milestones in their lives. Those friendships are a tremendous gift.

Looking back, I think what stays with me most is watching students discover who God created them to be. The Lord has given me such compassion for these young men and women. Long after I’m gone, He will continue using them in ways I may never see. My hope has always been to help them trust His grace, follow His direction, and know that even when they make mistakes, those mistakes do not place them beyond His ability to redeem and lead them.

Social work is deeply relational work and so is teaching. Over your years as a professor, what do you hope students carry with them after leaving your classroom?

I hope they leave loving people. Loving people sometimes means holding their feet to the fire. Sometimes it means encouraging them. Sometimes it means simply saying, "I'm here," and other times it means saying, “Here's where you can go.”

More than anything, I hope they know that they matter—that God loves them, that I love them, and that they, in turn, would love others.

You’ve spent decades preparing students to care for and advocate for others in some of life’s most difficult circumstances. What have your students taught you over the years about compassion, resilience, and the importance of human connection? 

They’ve taught me to celebrate the beauty of diversity. Every student brings a different story, different gifts, different challenges, and a different way of seeing the world. Whether they’re from another culture, have overcome significant hardships, or simply think differently, I’ve been continually amazed by what each person brings to the classroom. It has been a joy to watch God work through that diversity.

I often share 2 Corinthians 1:3–5 with my students—that the comfort God gives us in our own painful circumstances equips us to comfort others. We also talk about Romans 12:2, being transformed by the renewing of our minds. I remind them that change often happens one small step at a time. Just because you stumble doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It means you have another opportunity to begin again.

I’ve learned just how resilient people can be. I’ve watched them persevere through difficult circumstances, grow in ways they never imagined, and then go on to serve others with compassion because of what they’ve experienced themselves.

In the end, my students have reminded me again and again that compassion begins with seeing people, listening well, and walking alongside them. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to watch the Lord work in and through them.

Your career reflects a remarkable blend of service, leadership, faith, and care for others from teaching Bible classes and serving in ministry settings to mentoring students in the classroom and your home. How has your faith shaped the way you approached both teaching and relationships throughout your career?

My faith has shaped everything.

More than anything, I’ve tried to depend on the Holy Spirit’s leading. When I came to Gordon as a student, I sensed the Lord calling me there, even though I only had enough money for one semester. He had provided through teaching music, and I believed He was asking me to take that step of faith. Looking back, that became the pattern for my life: trusting God’s love and care, listening for His direction, and then simply obeying. And when I haven’t responded as quickly as I should have, I’ve also learned to receive His forgiveness and grace.

That dependence on the Lord shaped the way I taught. I never walked into a classroom without first praying. Every semester, we began class with a devotional. I led the first few, and then I invited students to participate if they wished. Those moments reminded us whose we are, why we’re here, and who is ultimately sovereign. Some of those student-led devotionals were incredibly meaningful. One student brought a cello to play a song of worship. Another brought a guitar. They weren’t just beginning a class—we were reminding ourselves that Christ was at the center of our learning.

For me, faith has never been something separate from teaching or relationships. It’s been the foundation of both. My prayer has always been that students would know who they are, whose they are, and that they could trust the Lord’s faithful leading in every season of life.

Of all the roles you’ve had at Gordon—student, athlete, coach, professor, mentor, musician, colleague, and friend—which has brought you the greatest joy?

Well, I love music. I still play at our church, sing in the choir, and occasionally direct it. Athletics and music have always energized me.

But teaching students has brought me the greatest joy. That’s where I feel the Lord has allowed me to make the greatest difference. There is nothing quite like watching a student come alive and realize, “This is where I'm supposed to be.” That has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.

This fall, you'll receive Gordon’s Lifetime Achievement Alumni Award in recognition of your extraordinary service to the College. As you reflect on that honor, what do you hope your legacy at Gordon will be—not only in programs or accomplishments, but in the lives of the people you've encountered along the way?

I hope people leave loving others.

More specifically, I hope they recognize that every person is made in the image of God and deserves to be loved as such. I think we’re living in a time when it’s becoming harder to listen to one another, to disagree graciously, and to truly see one another. If we lose that, we’re in danger as a society.

If my life has helped students love God more deeply and love people more faithfully, that would be enough.