One particular element of our work that is at the forefront of our research and programming efforts is social emotional learning, its importance, and its presence in all facets of the student experience. For over a decade, we have been conducting ongoing longitudinal research through our Lives Over Time study, as well as various related research initiatives, to analyze what factors promote post-graduate independence and success. What emerged is that specific social emotional skills clearly contribute to long term independence and life satisfaction for our students. Through this research, we have developed the Qualities of a Sustainable and Independent Learner (QSIL), a social emotional learning framework that explicitly guides our understanding and development of these vital skills. The QSIL skills of Resilience, Self-Advocacy, Self-Regulation, Self-Reflection, Management and Organization, Social Communication, Problem Solving, and Social Responsibility drive not only life satisfaction and independence, but also academic growth. By illuminating the social emotional skills that are inherent in each social and academic experience while strengthening these skills through explicit instruction, we are providing students with the tools and preparedness to succeed well into adulthood.