Gerald Lambert took a chance. He took several chances, really.

Lambert moved from Ireland to New York and then relocated to Little Rock, where he met his future wife. With her encouragement, he left a well established career in the restaurant industry.

“It’s been a beautiful and difficult journey,” said Lambert, 47.

He wasn’t sure exactly what he would do when he traveled to the United States, but his brother helped him land a restaurant job.

The Big Apple “was unlike anything I’d seen before,” Lambert recalled.

Through dedication and some late shifts, Lambert worked his way to management, but after 16 years in New York, he was ready for a change. He enjoyed Little Rock, which he visited regularly to see his sister, so he made the move.

While he had an affinity for the business side of restaurants, Lambert said he got stuck in a rut. He especially missed spending time with family and friends on nights, weekends, and holidays.

His wife, a UALR graduate who was in the information technology field, suggested he go back to school.

Lambert was particularly intrigued by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock e-commerce degree, which was a match for his skills and interests. At the time of the program’s launch in 2012, UALR offered one of only a handful of four-year e-commerce degrees in the country.

“It fit in just perfect — half business, half tech,” Lambert said.

He completed the degree in three and a half years, with a minor in information technology, taking courses during the summer to accelerate the process. His focus: “head down and study, study, study.”

“I encountered some wonderful educators,” Lambert said. “You could sense the passion in them.”

Now, Lambert is excited for the commencement ceremony and about the future that awaits.

He is set to join other fall semester graduates at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Jack Stephens Center.

Many of his family members will be in attendance. His father, who soon will turn 90, sent him a card telling him just how proud he was of his son’s accomplishments.

That meant a lot to Lambert.

His dad and other family members in Ireland plan to watch the live video stream of the commencement ceremony on the UALR website.

None of it would have been possible, Lambert said, without his “sweetheart.” Not only did Lambert’s wife suggest he go back to school, but Pamela also helped and supported him through each step.

“Basically, I’m walking Saturday (during the commencement) because of my wife,” Lambert said. “She was there all the time whenever I needed her.”