Lisp-family languages (LFLs) continue to influence and inform modern programming language design and applications. In bioinformatics and computational biology, LFLs have successfully been applied to high-performance computing, database curation, systems biology, drug discovery, computational chemistry and nanotechnology, among much more. Furthermore, dialects such as Racket, with its language-oriented programming and streamlined development environment, or Clojure, with its Java ecosystem and comprehensive open-source libraries, present exciting possibilities in pedagogy, particularly in introductory computer science and functional programming courses. We present an educational perspective on beginning one’s journey in computer science with LFLs, and the advantages unique to this pedagogical approach. Distinct advantages of using LFLs for students can be found in fundamental theoretical concepts of computer science and functional programming, along with practical software development in industry settings.