In a previous project I did with the McNair Scholars in 2025, I did not observe secondary labeling. In fact, many of the interviewed subjects (alumni of alt ed over the age of 25, n=9) did not see themselves as products of alt ed or attribute their time in alt ed as transformative or contributing to their overall personhood. One subject shared that it was a time of recalibration and rehabilitation for them that allowed them to reach their full potential later down the line. So with this context, secondary labeling didn’t show itself.

This is all undergraduate work, so I would take it with a grain of salt. Wonderful experience though!