Get busy.
 2
00:00:02.302 --> 00:00:02.969 Get in there.
 3
00:00:02.969 --> 00:00:05.939 You know, I did a lot of volunteer work and
 4
00:00:06.506 --> 00:00:08.575 a lot of the opportunities came from that.
 5
00:00:08.575 --> 00:00:09.209 Right?
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00:00:09.209 --> 00:00:14.014 As I learned and as I as I grew and as I met different people, doors opened.
 7
00:00:14.481 --> 00:00:17.584 And my advice is always to get busy. Right.
 8
00:00:17.584 --> 00:00:20.120 And I understand the process and the anxiety that comes with it
 9
00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:24.691 and putting the resume together and, you know, going on the job search.
 10
00:00:24.691 --> 00:00:25.492 And that's important.
 11
00:00:25.492 --> 00:00:27.761 You have to know how to do that and that has its place.
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00:00:27.761 --> 00:00:31.431 But to me, nothing can replace the human to human interaction.
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00:00:31.931 --> 00:00:33.266 Getting to know people,
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00:00:33.266 --> 00:00:36.770 finding a cause that really makes you tick, that really makes you drive.
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00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:41.207 Finding an organization or a person that was working in that cause
 16
00:00:41.207 --> 00:00:44.544 and reaching out to them and and asking, hey, how did you get into this?
 17
00:00:44.878 --> 00:00:46.413 Or do you have volunteer opportunities?
 18
00:00:46.413 --> 00:00:49.416 Do you have an opportunity for me to experience this in real time?
 19
00:00:49.883 --> 00:00:51.518 I think those opportunities are endless.
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00:00:51.518 --> 00:00:54.454 So just reaching out, understanding what your cause
 21
00:00:54.454 --> 00:00:58.158 is, what what makes, what drives you and reaching out and don't wait.
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00:00:58.258 --> 00:01:00.927 You don't have to wait for a job to make an impact.
 23
00:01:00.927 --> 00:01:03.430 You don't have to wait for the career to make an impact.
 24
00:01:03.430 --> 00:01:05.365 You can make an impact today.
 25
00:01:05.365 --> 00:01:07.033 Through volunteering, through having a conversation
 26
00:01:07.033 --> 00:01:10.236 with somebody, you can make that impact that really fulfills you, right?
 27
00:01:10.236 --> 00:01:12.338 You can do that today. Right now.
 28
00:01:13.673 --> 00:01:14.808 And all of
 29
00:01:14.808 --> 00:01:18.144 those answers to those tough questions about the career,
 30
00:01:18.178 --> 00:01:21.181 the technical aspects of the career, those those will come in time.
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00:01:21.481 --> 00:01:24.417 But you don't have to wait to make that impact.
 32
00:01:24.417 --> 00:01:27.220 So reach out, get your hands dirty, whatever that is.
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00:01:27.220 --> 00:01:30.256 If you're, working with children, if you're working in health
 34
00:01:30.256 --> 00:01:32.158 care or mental health, if you're working in violence
 35
00:01:32.158 --> 00:01:35.161 prevention, get your hands dirty, you know, mentor a kid,
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00:01:35.995 --> 00:01:38.198 reach out to your local church,
 37
00:01:38.198 --> 00:01:41.568 reach out to your local community member and ask for opportunities and be curious.
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00:01:41.901 --> 00:01:44.704 And I think, you know, young people can definitely find answers that way to start.
 

My advice is to get busy and talk to people. A lot of my opportunities came from volunteering. As I learned, grew, and met different people, doors opened. Don't underestimate the power of talking to people and making connections. Nothing can replace the human-to-human interactions. Find a cause or organization that resonates with you and reach out to the people working there. Ask them how they got into that work and if they have any volunteer opportunities for you.

I focus on keeping our community farm running and welcoming neighbors into the space. I support my team, work in the garden, and connect people with fresh food, wellness programs, and resources. Some days I’m planning strategy with partners, other days I’m in the dirt planting or talking with community members—but every day is about helping the community stay healthy and supported.

Manager

Opportunities & Possibilities

You Can Make An Impact Now

You've kind of had so many vast, different experiences in terms of your career.
 2
00:00:05.038 --> 00:00:08.742 What career advice do you have for us to find our path in life?
 3
00:00:09.109 --> 00:00:13.179 What I've been able to do throughout my life, in my career,
 4
00:00:13.546 --> 00:00:16.750 is to be open to any and all possibility.
 5
00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:21.588 People ask me, do you have a plan you can share with me?
 6
00:00:21.788 --> 00:00:22.655 And guess what?
 7
00:00:22.655 --> 00:00:25.759 I don't even have the back of a napkin I can show anyone.
 8
00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.196 But I think one thing that helped me, quite honestly,
 9
00:00:30.397 --> 00:00:35.101 is the fact that there were no preconceived notions in my family
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00:00:35.568 --> 00:00:38.905 as to what I was supposed to do with my life or my career,
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00:00:39.372 --> 00:00:42.509 because no one in my family had ever gone to college.
 12
00:00:42.709 --> 00:00:45.712 As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss.
 13
00:00:46.413 --> 00:00:48.281 Because I didn't know.
 14
00:00:48.281 --> 00:00:52.419 Because I didn't have parents telling me well you need to go to med school.
 15
00:00:52.419 --> 00:00:54.154 You need to go to law school.
 16
00:00:54.154 --> 00:00:57.490 My parents were just happy I was able to pursue
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00:00:57.724 --> 00:01:00.693 a college education, something they couldn't do.
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00:01:00.760 --> 00:01:04.497 They didn't care what I did as long as it led
 19
00:01:04.864 --> 00:01:08.101 to a fulfilling life, which I've certainly had.
 20
00:01:08.635 --> 00:01:11.104 So I have always been
 21
00:01:11.104 --> 00:01:14.307 the kind of person that has embraced the unknown.
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00:01:14.441 --> 00:01:16.242 I've never said no.
 23
00:01:16.242 --> 00:01:18.978 When someone has called me about a new job,
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00:01:18.978 --> 00:01:22.348 or someone has called me about doing something I've never done.
 25
00:01:22.816 --> 00:01:25.819 I immediately say, well, tell me more about it.
 26
00:01:26.252 --> 00:01:30.490 And I'm always open to the possibility of doing different things.
 27
00:01:30.523 --> 00:01:33.927 So my advice is not to get too hung up
 28
00:01:33.927 --> 00:01:37.097 in what you're studying or things of that nature.
 29
00:01:37.130 --> 00:01:40.433 I mean, I think about my college degree, my undergraduate
 30
00:01:40.433 --> 00:01:43.436 degree was in agriculture
 31
00:01:43.803 --> 00:01:47.574 and then my graduate studies was in theology.
 32
00:01:47.574 --> 00:01:50.577 I went to divinity school,
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00:01:50.743 --> 00:01:55.743 and that taught me how to be with people during their time of need.
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00:01:56.316 --> 00:01:59.285 I think back to 9/11,
 35
00:01:59.652 --> 00:02:02.689 I was working for a pharmaceutical company
 36
00:02:03.123 --> 00:02:06.559 in new Jersey at the time, in the shadows of New York City,
 37
00:02:06.559 --> 00:02:11.531 and that was an example of where my training
 38
00:02:12.031 --> 00:02:17.031 in theological divinity school came to be, because all of a sudden,
 39
00:02:17.537 --> 00:02:20.940 all the things we were doing that day were immaterial.
 40
00:02:21.274 --> 00:02:23.143 They didn't matter.
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00:02:23.143 --> 00:02:24.811 What I needed to do
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00:02:24.811 --> 00:02:28.481 was to be with people because we didn't know what was happening.
 43
00:02:28.615 --> 00:02:32.685 It was a period of time, just like when President Kennedy was killed.
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00:02:33.019 --> 00:02:36.022 I was five years old and in kindergarten.
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00:02:36.022 --> 00:02:39.125 And I remember that day like it was yesterday.
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00:02:39.726 --> 00:02:44.264 So there will be these instances in your life, and you've probably already
 47
00:02:44.264 --> 00:02:48.401 had some that you're going to remember when you're my age.
 48
00:02:48.935 --> 00:02:53.106 But ultimately, what you're going to remember is what you did
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00:02:53.606 --> 00:02:58.111 and how you helped other people get through that time of need.
 50
00:02:58.611 --> 00:03:00.847 And regardless what career you're in.
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00:03:00.847 --> 00:03:03.850 Whether you're a farmer, whether you're a teacher,
 52
00:03:03.950 --> 00:03:06.719 whether you're a mental health advocate,
 53
00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:09.556 it's all about being with people
 54
00:03:09.556 --> 00:03:12.559 because we're all on the same journey here.
 55
00:03:13.059 --> 00:03:15.895 We're all here for a finite period of time,
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00:03:15.895 --> 00:03:18.898 and it's our responsibility and our privilege
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00:03:19.232 --> 00:03:22.235 to just walk side by side with each other
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00:03:22.302 --> 00:03:26.472 and to get each other through both happy times and times of trouble.
 

I lost my nephew to suicide. I had spent my career working in healthcare but that loss made mental health very personal for me. It propelled me to launch Rural Minds to help others in rural America get mental health help.

I had a brain injury that required a craniotomy. I was told I may never walk, run, or ride horses again. I was determined to push through and prove the doctors wrong.

My days are spent advocating for mental health in rural America. I meet with community groups, farmers, and partners to share resources, reduce stigma, and bring care to places that often feel forgotten. Between nonprofit work and life on my dairy farm, I listen to people’s stories and help connect them with support and hope where they live.

Founder & Chairman

Family

Fulfillment

Advice For A Fulfilling Life

It's very clear that you're very proud of your heritage and everything,
 2
00:00:03.303 --> 00:00:05.271 and that you're doing your best to conserve it,
 3
00:00:05.271 --> 00:00:09.743 but I would like to know how did you get to be a museum director?
 4
00:00:09.743 --> 00:00:12.412 My personality pursues change.
 5
00:00:12.412 --> 00:00:15.382 I actually thrive
 6
00:00:15.382 --> 00:00:20.382 pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, because that's really what stops
 7
00:00:20.653 --> 00:00:24.391 a lot of people is the fear of what's going to happen.
 8
00:00:24.391 --> 00:00:26.526 You know, am I going to get hurt?
 9
00:00:26.526 --> 00:00:29.095 Am I gonna get in trouble? Am I going to fail?
 10
00:00:29.095 --> 00:00:33.166 And my personality
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00:00:33.933 --> 00:00:37.337 tends to be, well, I won't know unless I try.
 12
00:00:37.637 --> 00:00:42.542 So I became a museum director at age 33.
 13
00:00:43.143 --> 00:00:44.677 And what
 14
00:00:45.645 --> 00:00:49.349 led, started the opportunity was there
 15
00:00:49.349 --> 00:00:53.253 opportunity opened up for the executive director of the tribal government.
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00:00:53.253 --> 00:00:56.256 So it's like basically the CEO of the tribe.
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00:00:56.656 --> 00:01:00.827 And I was really building my confidence and like becoming a leader
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00:01:01.227 --> 00:01:03.763 that I was like, I'm gonna apply.
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00:01:03.763 --> 00:01:05.732 I know I'm nowhere near qualified.
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00:01:05.732 --> 00:01:07.067 I know I don't have the experience,
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00:01:07.067 --> 00:01:10.036 but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.
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00:01:10.036 --> 00:01:13.606 And so in preparing for that interview,
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00:01:13.907 --> 00:01:16.843 I actually put together a whole binder,
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00:01:16.843 --> 00:01:21.581 a whole packet of what my vision was and what I wanted for the tribe
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00:01:21.581 --> 00:01:24.584 and what I wanted to, you know, complete
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00:01:24.584 --> 00:01:28.221 or wanted to implement within the position.
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00:01:28.221 --> 00:01:32.292 And when the interview was completed, I was like, yeah, I did that.
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00:01:32.292 --> 00:01:33.293 I was like, cool, okay.
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00:01:33.293 --> 00:01:34.727 And then I just kind of moved on.
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00:01:34.727 --> 00:01:39.727 And, a few years later, there was somebody that used to be on Tribal Council
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00:01:41.334 --> 00:01:43.937 that was on the interview panel
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00:01:43.937 --> 00:01:46.940 at the time, and he actually ended up
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00:01:46.940 --> 00:01:50.276 telling me that it was really hard for them not to choose me.
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00:01:50.944 --> 00:01:53.046 And I was like, whoa.
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00:01:53.046 --> 00:01:54.848 I was like, that's kind of cool.
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00:01:54.848 --> 00:01:56.449 I was like, okay.
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00:01:56.449 --> 00:02:00.019 And so just going to that interview and applying,
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00:02:00.887 --> 00:02:03.890 opened up the door for them to kind of keep an eye on me.
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00:02:04.090 --> 00:02:07.093 So when I was working for Healing of the Canoe,
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00:02:07.660 --> 00:02:12.499 they needed a director for the museum, and they said, they approached me
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00:02:12.499 --> 00:02:17.499 and were like, hey, would you be open to, you know, being interim museum director?
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00:02:17.837 --> 00:02:19.506 And we'll see how it goes?
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00:02:19.506 --> 00:02:23.543 And I said, I will take the job under one condition
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00:02:24.077 --> 00:02:28.481 that I still get to do Healing of the Canoe part time.
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00:02:28.481 --> 00:02:30.550 And they said yes.
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00:02:30.550 --> 00:02:32.118 And I came on.
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00:02:32.118 --> 00:02:35.288 And so it really was the tribe
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00:02:36.322 --> 00:02:39.325 taking the opportunity to bring in somebody
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00:02:39.425 --> 00:02:43.429 that I really I had no supervisory experience officially.
 50
00:02:43.496 --> 00:02:47.433 I had just helped the community in a lot of different aspects.
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00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:52.600 So it was really great to be able to know that the tribe had faith in me,
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00:02:54.107 --> 00:02:56.876 in giving me a chance,
 53
00:02:56.876 --> 00:03:00.713 and that's how I became a director at 33.
 

My days are spent leading the Suquamish Museum, curating exhibits, managing staff, and planning cultural events that bring our stories to life. I often teach weaving classes, mentor youth, and collaborate with other museums to expand Indigenous representation. Every day is a chance to share, preserve, and pass on our culture.

Museum Director

Maybe I don't have what it takes to do this.

How I Became A Museum Director

I think education is the key to ending poverty.
 2
00:00:03.870 --> 00:00:04.537 Period.
 3
00:00:04.537 --> 00:00:07.540 And when I mean education doesn't just mean academia,
 4
00:00:08.141 --> 00:00:11.144 because everybody doesn't have to be a scholar.
 5
00:00:11.311 --> 00:00:12.078 Right.
 6
00:00:12.078 --> 00:00:15.715 Education means film, right?
 7
00:00:15.749 --> 00:00:17.951 Education means electrician.
 8
00:00:17.951 --> 00:00:19.753 Education means Hvac.
 9
00:00:19.753 --> 00:00:24.753 When our community decides to be more intentional in providing
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00:00:25.291 --> 00:00:28.962 opportunities to teach, to learn different skills
 11
00:00:29.195 --> 00:00:32.198 earlier, in earlier ages,
 12
00:00:33.033 --> 00:00:36.002 that can change the landscape of poverty.
 13
00:00:36.469 --> 00:00:37.203 Right.
 14
00:00:37.203 --> 00:00:40.473 I mean, I can just imagine some of my youth right now that are 18.
 15
00:00:40.740 --> 00:00:43.643 And they're struggling because they don't know what to do.
 16
00:00:43.643 --> 00:00:47.614 School looks so hard on your own.
 17
00:00:49.349 --> 00:00:51.584 But why isn't the opportunity
 18
00:00:51.584 --> 00:00:55.188 to hold a camera, to be an electrician?
 19
00:00:55.655 --> 00:00:58.591 Soon as you start the ninth grade.
 20
00:00:58.591 --> 00:01:02.128 Why shouldn't a kid walk out with a certification?
 21
00:01:02.395 --> 00:01:04.330 It doesn't make sense to me that they don't.
 22
00:01:04.330 --> 00:01:06.433 Because we sit there and teach history.
 23
00:01:06.433 --> 00:01:09.002 And, which is I understand that. Right. Like we can.
 24
00:01:09.002 --> 00:01:12.005 There's these subjects that need to be taught, but
 25
00:01:12.539 --> 00:01:14.874 everybody not going to be a historian.
 26
00:01:14.874 --> 00:01:17.310 Anybody not going to be an English major.
 27
00:01:17.310 --> 00:01:20.213 Some people hate school academically.
 28
00:01:20.213 --> 00:01:20.914 Right.
 29
00:01:20.914 --> 00:01:22.615 And I feel like for me.
 30
00:01:22.615 --> 00:01:24.684 So I dropped out in a ninth grade.
 31
00:01:24.684 --> 00:01:26.486 If I would have had some kind of
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00:01:27.887 --> 00:01:32.092 training to make money before I left,
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00:01:32.292 --> 00:01:35.295 before I decided to drop out, if I just knew.
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00:01:35.495 --> 00:01:36.296 Like, yo.
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00:01:36.296 --> 00:01:39.332 By the time you're in 11th, 12th grade, you'll, you'll have your, you
 36
00:01:39.332 --> 00:01:42.602 know, mechanic license or, or Hvac license.
 37
00:01:42.602 --> 00:01:44.537 You know what I'm saying? Like something to that nature.
 38
00:01:44.537 --> 00:01:47.107 And I can get paid $25 an hour.
 39
00:01:47.107 --> 00:01:50.110 $30 an hour. As soon as I hit 18.
 40
00:01:50.777 --> 00:01:53.947 I think that would make my thinking different.
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00:01:54.614 --> 00:01:54.881 Right.
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00:01:54.881 --> 00:01:58.518 It'll challenge the gang philosophy of this is how you make money.
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00:01:58.551 --> 00:02:00.920 You rob, steal and sell drugs.
 44
00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:05.258 You know, and we know the outcome of that is we don't know it at that moment.
 45
00:02:05.725 --> 00:02:09.162 But in all actuality, McDonald's workers
 46
00:02:09.162 --> 00:02:11.431 make more than a gang banger will ever make.
 47
00:02:11.431 --> 00:02:13.433 And I say that to say because, like
 48
00:02:14.934 --> 00:02:15.535 having
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00:02:15.535 --> 00:02:20.306 those kind of trainings and different certifications inside of prisons,
 50
00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.011 if you're serious about recidivism, that's where it should be too.
 51
00:02:25.612 --> 00:02:26.946 It should be book ended.
 52
00:02:26.946 --> 00:02:29.582 Like we already know how we have mass incarceration.
 53
00:02:29.582 --> 00:02:31.351 So you have to fix this problem.
 54
00:02:31.351 --> 00:02:34.354 And the only way to fix that is education.
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00:02:34.654 --> 00:02:36.890 They have to be able to walk out with certifications,
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00:02:36.890 --> 00:02:39.893 a degree, multiple if they have to.
 57
00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:40.827 Right.
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00:02:40.827 --> 00:02:43.830 And then start teaching it early
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00:02:44.364 --> 00:02:46.933 and then I think it'll meet in the middle
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00:02:46.933 --> 00:02:49.536 and then wipe out recidivism for sure.
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00:02:49.536 --> 00:02:53.206 And then these men and women with these different skill sets
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00:02:53.206 --> 00:02:58.206 can support their families and then in proximity will support their communities.
 63
00:02:58.244 --> 00:03:00.813 So to me education is the key.
 

I recommend doing both vocational and university education. I would start with vocational learning that targets business. Then, pursue a university degree to work on passion and career. A degree in non-profit management would work well for a career like mine.

I was sentenced to life in prison at age 19. I gave up on life and fell deep into the prison system. When I finally decided to make a change, I focused on education and healing. My sentence was commuted and it's now my mission to help others like me.

I start my mornings at Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory, where I get youth Ubered in, teach digital literacy, and help them connect to their SMART goals. I also help build our curriculum. After that, I head to API RISE to support returning community members, helping them get documents, jobs, and housing, and leading programs like Love Not Hate, internships, and Prison-In-Reach. Every hour of my day is rooted in care and second chances.

Senior Program Specialist

Education Is The Key To Ending Poverty

When folks who are previously incarcerated, justice impacted,
 2
00:00:03.937 --> 00:00:07.907 and they start to really work through the educational process
 3
00:00:07.907 --> 00:00:09.542 and earn degrees and so forth.
 4
00:00:09.542 --> 00:00:11.478 What does that do for their recidivism?
 5
00:00:11.478 --> 00:00:16.383 Like how does that actually reduce their journey back into prison?
 6
00:00:16.383 --> 00:00:17.150 And what does that do for the community?
 7
00:00:17.150 --> 00:00:22.150 When you grew up in the streets, when your only experience
 8
00:00:23.256 --> 00:00:26.292 with the educational system is suspension,
 9
00:00:26.493 --> 00:00:29.896 expulsion, detention, just all these things
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00:00:31.264 --> 00:00:34.667 you don't associate education with upward social mobility.
 11
00:00:34.701 --> 00:00:37.937 You don't associate education with positivity.
 12
00:00:38.538 --> 00:00:42.375 I know I struggled as a kid in high school,
 13
00:00:42.375 --> 00:00:45.945 got kicked out of my conventional school, went to continuation high school.
 14
00:00:46.146 --> 00:00:50.583 And in continuation high school that was where the "problem children" were located.
 15
00:00:50.583 --> 00:00:54.387 And so it only exacerbated the problems that I was going through.
 16
00:00:54.754 --> 00:00:57.791 And we often talk about the school to prison pipeline,
 17
00:00:58.091 --> 00:01:00.860 and it doesn't happen in high school.
 18
00:01:00.860 --> 00:01:04.831 It happens way back in elementary school, second grade, third grade.
 19
00:01:04.831 --> 00:01:07.300 But it builds up.
 20
00:01:07.300 --> 00:01:11.171 And so for many of us, when we get that taste of education,
 21
00:01:11.604 --> 00:01:16.209 either while incarcerated or briefly after we come home from prison, it's
 22
00:01:16.443 --> 00:01:20.280 so empowering to say, I don't remember education being like this.
 23
00:01:20.313 --> 00:01:22.715 I'm actually enjoying being in class.
 24
00:01:22.715 --> 00:01:26.553 And so for many of us, it's a transformation happening.
 25
00:01:26.619 --> 00:01:29.722 We go from being this formerly incarcerated
 26
00:01:29.722 --> 00:01:32.759 college student to just simply being a college student.
 27
00:01:32.826 --> 00:01:36.663 We don't always have to tag on that label of being formerly incarcerated.
 28
00:01:37.063 --> 00:01:39.065 And it has huge implications for us.
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00:01:39.065 --> 00:01:42.702 Not only does it open up employment opportunities for us,
 30
00:01:42.902 --> 00:01:46.206 not only does it open up housing opportunities, but
 31
00:01:46.206 --> 00:01:51.206 there's a sense of social upward mobility that comes with getting an education.
 32
00:01:51.878 --> 00:01:55.181 And unfortunately for myself, when I was incarcerated,
 33
00:01:55.181 --> 00:01:58.184 my education was cut short while I was in there.
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00:01:58.318 --> 00:02:02.088 Back when I was incarcerated, they didn't have the opportunities they have today.
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00:02:02.088 --> 00:02:04.290 There was no schools going into the prisons.
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00:02:04.290 --> 00:02:07.026 If you wanted to do college, you had to do it on your own.
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00:02:07.026 --> 00:02:09.496 You had to pay for it out of pocket on your own.
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00:02:09.496 --> 00:02:12.165 And it just wasn't sustainable. I couldn't afford it.
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00:02:12.165 --> 00:02:13.900 And so when I came home
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00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:17.971 is when my own college journey really, really took shape and,
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00:02:19.205 --> 00:02:21.741 all my life labels were thrown on me.
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00:02:21.741 --> 00:02:23.943 He's a gang member. He's no good.
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00:02:23.943 --> 00:02:25.478 He's the dregs of society.
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00:02:25.478 --> 00:02:27.814 He's, you know, he's all of these things.
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00:02:27.814 --> 00:02:30.683 And then coming home, being embraced by professors,
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00:02:30.683 --> 00:02:34.587 being embraced by classmates, it's like, wait, maybe those things I was told
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00:02:34.721 --> 00:02:37.724 all those years ago weren't true about me.
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00:02:37.724 --> 00:02:40.026 And you start to manifest this new identity.
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00:02:40.026 --> 00:02:41.794 It's like, no, I'm a scholar.
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00:02:41.794 --> 00:02:43.096 I am better than that.
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00:02:43.096 --> 00:02:46.032 And so not only does it provide opportunities,
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00:02:46.032 --> 00:02:48.401 but you start changing the way you think about yourself.
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00:02:48.401 --> 00:02:50.470 Your self-esteem is increased.
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00:02:50.470 --> 00:02:53.072 You get to demonstrate to your family and your community.
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00:02:53.072 --> 00:02:57.777 Hey, I know you all associate me with this version of me,
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00:02:58.011 --> 00:03:00.046 but that's not who I am anymore.
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00:03:00.046 --> 00:03:01.614 This is the new me now.
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00:03:01.614 --> 00:03:04.717 And so when your family sees you getting these certificates,
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00:03:04.717 --> 00:03:08.922 these diplomas, these awards, your families and your community's
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00:03:09.155 --> 00:03:12.158 perception of who you are changes as well.
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00:03:12.692 --> 00:03:15.828 And as far as why does all this matter?
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00:03:15.929 --> 00:03:19.365 It not only reduces recidivism as studies have shown,
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00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:22.702 but we become contributing members to society.
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00:03:22.936 --> 00:03:24.804 It's a domino effect.
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00:03:24.804 --> 00:03:29.175 I know that when I meet students who were once in my shoes,
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00:03:29.542 --> 00:03:32.946 they end up becoming mentors for others coming behind them.
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00:03:33.079 --> 00:03:36.716 And it's almost just spreads like the domino effect.
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00:03:36.716 --> 00:03:37.850 It spreads outwards.
 

2025 HEPR Roadtrip
Specified ethnicity as Afghan American

Do not force something that is not there. Follow your heart and make sure you are pursuing your passion. Doors will open and opportunities will be presented to you because others will see the passion you exude.

I spent 16 years incarcerated, starting at age 18. After being released and redefining my identity through education, I know support formerly incarcerated students navigate a system that wasn't built for them.

I oversee the day-to-day operations by ensuring that staff meets the needs of our students. Our enrollment coordinator provides advising to current students and meets with potential students coming from community college or who are recently released from incarceration. I also oversee our peer navigator team which is comprised of current students serving as peer mentors for incoming students. My position as program director is to ensure each one of our departments is operating at full capacity.

Program Director, Project Rebound

You’re a gang member. You’re no good. You’re the dregs of society.

Education

Benefits Of Education For Justice Impacted People

What is the importance of prison education program?
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00:00:05.005 --> 00:00:08.008 And then the follow up question, why is it important
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00:00:08.108 --> 00:00:11.111 for that to transfer out here?
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00:00:11.277 --> 00:00:14.280 Well, I think prison education programs are important
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00:00:14.314 --> 00:00:18.318 regardless of what level it is, because it's transformative.
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00:00:18.351 --> 00:00:21.354 And we know how education helps
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00:00:21.654 --> 00:00:26.654 to set one up for career opportunities, for leadership opportunities,
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00:00:26.659 --> 00:00:29.963 for pretty much anything that you can imagine
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00:00:29.963 --> 00:00:33.233 requires education and the skills of education.
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00:00:33.466 --> 00:00:37.904 Going through education, you learn certain skills like how to think critically.
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00:00:38.505 --> 00:00:41.508 You know how to set a schedule, how to commit to a schedule,
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00:00:41.574 --> 00:00:44.377 how to read and write
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00:00:44.377 --> 00:00:47.814 with intentionality, and to get your message across.
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00:00:48.314 --> 00:00:51.751 So all of these kind of soft skills come with learning,
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00:00:52.218 --> 00:00:55.221 and the more you learn, the better you get at those things.
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00:00:55.388 --> 00:01:00.388 So inside, I think that's really important for a lot of us because school was such
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00:01:02.562 --> 00:01:04.364 a hard road for many people.
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00:01:04.364 --> 00:01:05.999 It was very traumatizing.
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00:01:05.999 --> 00:01:08.768 Many folks inside come from environments
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00:01:08.768 --> 00:01:12.205 where some of the schools were very damaging.
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00:01:12.972 --> 00:01:17.972 And to be in a prison setting to have some of the best universities
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00:01:18.011 --> 00:01:21.548 now have prison education programs is an opportunity.
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00:01:21.714 --> 00:01:24.717 For the student inside,
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00:01:25.418 --> 00:01:27.921 it's another identity.
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00:01:27.921 --> 00:01:30.156 You know, when we enter into prison,
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00:01:30.156 --> 00:01:33.159 we're stripped of our name and we're given a number.
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00:01:33.660 --> 00:01:36.729 And so through incarceration,
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00:01:36.729 --> 00:01:39.999 I think we have an opportunity to take on roles.
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00:01:40.300 --> 00:01:44.237 So I think that's really important to have alternative identities
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00:01:44.437 --> 00:01:47.440 while we're in prison other than that number.
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00:01:47.540 --> 00:01:49.409 And education provides that.
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00:01:49.409 --> 00:01:52.412 So it's really important, I think education inside
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00:01:52.412 --> 00:01:56.616 because it's so transformative and it provides a lot of opportunities.
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00:01:56.616 --> 00:02:01.321 That's why the role that I'm in here at Pitzer, as the senior director
 35
00:02:01.321 --> 00:02:06.321 for the Justice Education Center, allows me to operate and manage
 36
00:02:06.893 --> 00:02:11.364 the inside out program that we have, where we bring 50
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00:02:11.364 --> 00:02:16.364 to 60 students into the California Rehabilitation Center on a weekly basis
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00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:20.707 to have their classes alongside incarcerated students.
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00:02:21.007 --> 00:02:26.007 And when you blend those two communities together, you've got these
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00:02:28.148 --> 00:02:29.449 mature students.
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00:02:29.449 --> 00:02:33.153 With all of this lived experience
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00:02:33.853 --> 00:02:38.057 mixing with traditional students who are young and curious
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00:02:38.391 --> 00:02:43.391 about life and smart and, you know, wanting to engage with
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00:02:43.730 --> 00:02:47.033 some of the social problems of the world and make a difference in the world.
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00:02:47.200 --> 00:02:50.203 When you bring these two worlds together,
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00:02:51.104 --> 00:02:55.208 it's incredible, you know, and to see it happen firsthand
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00:02:55.441 --> 00:02:59.112 and to actually be teaching a class, it's just really beautiful.
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00:02:59.112 --> 00:03:02.448 It's one of the best experiences I've had at Pitzer
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00:03:02.448 --> 00:03:07.387 College is being part of the inside out program, and taking those students inside
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00:03:07.887 --> 00:03:11.357 and hearing those conversations in the van as we're driving
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00:03:11.691 --> 00:03:16.196 about the students inside and what they want to talk about
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00:03:16.196 --> 00:03:18.264 and what the questions that they want to ask.
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00:03:18.264 --> 00:03:20.200 But also when we get there,
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00:03:20.200 --> 00:03:23.803 seeing how they interact, there's a community being built.
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00:03:23.803 --> 00:03:28.374 There's there's relationships being built that are between those students,
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00:03:28.641 --> 00:03:32.378 from student to student, like what happens in
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00:03:32.378 --> 00:03:35.949 traditional classrooms except they're happening in a prison.
 

You can enter this field with or without a degree. The most important thing is to have heart for the work.

I was sentenced to life in prison when I was 24 years old. I was filled with shame and guilt. The other women in prison really supported me and saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. I know now after surviving prison that I can do anything.

Each day, I bridge two worlds—college campuses and prison classrooms—leading justice education across the Claremont Colleges. My work includes recruiting and supporting faculty, building Inside-Out courses, mentoring students, and shaping a new major in Justice Education. I collaborate across campuses to design curriculum, expand programs, and advocate for policy change that supports reentry and reimagines justice.

Founding Senior Director, Claremont Justice Education Center

There's no way the Claremont Colleges will allow a 47-year old Black woman who just served 23 years in prison on their campuses.

Community

The Importance Of Prison Education Programs

What I see with your generation is that you're all
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00:00:03.136 --> 00:00:07.374 a lot more resilient and a lot more apt to try different things.
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00:00:07.407 --> 00:00:09.476 Like for us, it's like
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00:00:09.476 --> 00:00:13.146 when I look at my class in high school, there's probably 130 of us.
 5
00:00:13.546 --> 00:00:16.316 And looking back, it was kind of like, here's what you do.
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00:00:16.316 --> 00:00:18.718 You're either going to graduate and go to college
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00:00:18.718 --> 00:00:20.687 or you're going to graduate and go to the military,
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00:00:20.687 --> 00:00:22.389 or you're going to get married and have a family.
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00:00:22.389 --> 00:00:22.956 There was just like,
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00:00:22.956 --> 00:00:27.227 there was like these really set, prescribed career paths for you.
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00:00:28.061 --> 00:00:30.864 And now it's like, I'm going to go Teach For America.
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00:00:30.864 --> 00:00:33.333 I'm going to take a gap year. I'm going to study this.
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00:00:33.333 --> 00:00:36.503 I'm, you know, there just seems like you're more willing
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00:00:37.170 --> 00:00:39.873 to try a lot of different things,
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00:00:39.873 --> 00:00:42.776 and there are more things for you to try.
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00:00:42.776 --> 00:00:46.713 But in the pursuit of all these different things, you're more apt to probably
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00:00:47.113 --> 00:00:49.849 make a mistake or fail or say, oh,
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00:00:49.849 --> 00:00:52.986 that one didn't work out, and then just go try something else.
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00:00:52.986 --> 00:00:55.588 And that, to me is a gift
 20
00:00:55.588 --> 00:00:58.091 is to be able say, yeah, something else is going to work out.
 21
00:00:58.091 --> 00:01:02.328 Follow the path that seems to appear before you.
 22
00:01:02.729 --> 00:01:06.833 So I got a degree in education, special education,
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00:01:06.833 --> 00:01:10.437 and I worked part time for the school district, and my neighborhood
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00:01:10.437 --> 00:01:13.640 was experiencing some things with zoning laws
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00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.843 and things that were happening that we were a little bit nervous about.
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00:01:16.843 --> 00:01:19.012 And so I started to investigate.
 27
00:01:19.012 --> 00:01:22.749 What would that look like if I showed up at city Council meeting to talk
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00:01:22.749 --> 00:01:25.852 about why I don't think this zone change is appropriate for our neighborhood.
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00:01:25.852 --> 00:01:30.423 And I got involved and I started making presentations
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00:01:30.423 --> 00:01:32.292 to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
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00:01:32.292 --> 00:01:35.495 And, like, our neighborhood, we made some really good points
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00:01:35.495 --> 00:01:39.165 and we won and this zone change didn't go through.
 33
00:01:39.165 --> 00:01:42.368 And I thought, wait, like a regular person can do, like
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00:01:42.368 --> 00:01:45.371 someone like me can do this?
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00:01:45.472 --> 00:01:49.375 And people started to call me and say, hey, how did you know
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00:01:49.375 --> 00:01:51.811 to go find that information? I said, okay, it's really easy.
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00:01:51.811 --> 00:01:53.012 And then I loved taking them
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00:01:53.012 --> 00:01:56.649 by the hand to the city offices and showing them how to do that.
 39
00:01:57.217 --> 00:01:59.652 And I started to get more and more calls and, you know,
 40
00:01:59.652 --> 00:02:02.655 finally one year someone said, you know, you should run for city council.
 41
00:02:02.922 --> 00:02:04.824 It's like, wait, someone like me?
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00:02:04.824 --> 00:02:06.860 A special ed?
 43
00:02:06.860 --> 00:02:09.229 Like I don't see the, the, the mix.
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00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:11.397 But they said, no, no, you're good at this.
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00:02:11.397 --> 00:02:14.734 So I ran for city council and I lost.
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00:02:14.934 --> 00:02:16.069 It wasn't
 47
00:02:16.069 --> 00:02:18.638 you know, you lose and it's like, oh, that's the worst thing
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00:02:18.638 --> 00:02:20.707 that ever happened to me. It's like I was so energized.
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00:02:20.707 --> 00:02:25.211 I met so many people, and people continued to call on me
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00:02:25.211 --> 00:02:28.214 to help with just little things, because I had learned the system.
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00:02:28.414 --> 00:02:31.918 And four years later I ran and won, and then I ran and won again,
 52
00:02:31.918 --> 00:02:35.155 and then had another elected position where I ran and won.
 53
00:02:35.388 --> 00:02:37.090 But it was just the
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00:02:38.024 --> 00:02:40.727 way I went from education
 55
00:02:40.727 --> 00:02:44.731 to politics was I used what I learned in my degree.
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00:02:45.265 --> 00:02:48.568 I learned, we did a little bit of research you know in my master's degree and,
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00:02:48.801 --> 00:02:50.103 and how to problem solve.
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00:02:50.103 --> 00:02:53.640 A lot of what I learned in my schooling was how to problem solve.
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00:02:53.907 --> 00:02:56.910 So then the community work was problem solving work.
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00:02:57.243 --> 00:03:00.313 And then you'll learn politics is about problem solving.
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00:03:00.480 --> 00:03:03.183 And so it was kind of a natural transition.
 62
00:03:03.183 --> 00:03:04.651 So I was still working,
 63
00:03:04.651 --> 00:03:08.087 you know, part time in education while I was on the city council.
 64
00:03:08.087 --> 00:03:12.292 And and then the next thing you know, I got a call from the governor's office,
 65
00:03:12.425 --> 00:03:14.527 can I nominate you to be on the state school board?
 66
00:03:14.527 --> 00:03:19.527 And now that's like politics and education, not just community
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00:03:19.632 --> 00:03:23.836 services, you know, the fire and the police and the water and parks.
 68
00:03:23.836 --> 00:03:25.638 This is like actual education.
 69
00:03:25.638 --> 00:03:28.341 And I was teaching at Utah State at the time.
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00:03:28.341 --> 00:03:32.445 So I thought, this actually is a pretty good combination of my skills.
 71
00:03:32.445 --> 00:03:36.149 And so now you're into like the big league of politics, right?
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00:03:36.149 --> 00:03:37.550 State politics
 73
00:03:37.550 --> 00:03:40.420 and working with the governor's office and the state legislature.
 74
00:03:40.420 --> 00:03:44.757 And just a natural transition were these happy accidents,
 75
00:03:44.757 --> 00:03:48.895 where things just presented themselves, opportunities presented themselves.
 76
00:03:49.262 --> 00:03:52.265 And I was ready to say yes.
 

Co-Creator & UNITE Chief External Relations Officer

I can't run for city council. Someone like me? A PTA president? I don't see it.

Choices

Follow The Path That Appears

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.
 2
00:00:01.801 --> 00:00:03.737 Some people feel like they're just born teachers.
 3
00:00:03.737 --> 00:00:05.271 I felt like I was a born teacher.
 4
00:00:05.271 --> 00:00:07.941 I grew up in a small town in northeastern Montana.
 5
00:00:07.941 --> 00:00:11.044 I went to a year of college and then got married,
 6
00:00:11.611 --> 00:00:15.015 and a few years later, couple of kids
 7
00:00:15.015 --> 00:00:18.852 later went back to school to get my degree in special education.
 8
00:00:19.252 --> 00:00:23.923 So I graduated with my bachelor's degree at like 28 with three kids.
 9
00:00:24.391 --> 00:00:26.726 So I was a nontraditional student.
 10
00:00:26.726 --> 00:00:31.726 And, I actually feel like it made me a better student.
 11
00:00:32.132 --> 00:00:33.833 When I went back to school
 12
00:00:33.833 --> 00:00:37.070 with three kids in tow, it's like, okay, now I really know what I want to do.
 13
00:00:37.070 --> 00:00:40.507 And I studied special education, which I'd never had thought of before.
 14
00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.275 Studying special education.
 15
00:00:42.275 --> 00:00:44.911 And I'm so glad I made that decision,
 16
00:00:44.911 --> 00:00:47.914 because there's things that I learned in special education
 17
00:00:48.214 --> 00:00:52.352 about behavior and behavior change, and setting goals and task
 18
00:00:52.619 --> 00:00:56.656 analyzing behavior and behavior projects.
 19
00:00:56.656 --> 00:00:58.258 And it just it really gave me
 20
00:00:58.258 --> 00:01:01.194 a very different perspective that I'd never had before.
 21
00:01:01.194 --> 00:01:04.564 I would learn something in class and then go home and practice it
 22
00:01:04.564 --> 00:01:08.001 on one of my kids, or go home and practice it on my husband.
 23
00:01:08.034 --> 00:01:11.538 But it just it really was such a huge turning point
 24
00:01:11.805 --> 00:01:14.808 for me and how I looked at everything from that point on.
 25
00:01:14.941 --> 00:01:16.743 So I'm forever grateful.
 26
00:01:16.743 --> 00:01:17.410 Not only that
 27
00:01:17.410 --> 00:01:21.314 I got my degree, and then I went on to get a master's degree in special education.
 28
00:01:21.581 --> 00:01:24.451 But that I took that little fork in the road
 29
00:01:24.451 --> 00:01:27.153 a bit to see things a little bit differently.
 30
00:01:27.153 --> 00:01:31.357 Because as you kind of explore these different things,
 31
00:01:31.357 --> 00:01:35.662 I always just want to tell people, just buckle up because stuff is,
 32
00:01:35.695 --> 00:01:40.467 is, is going to happen to you and you're going to find some random, you're gonna go
 33
00:01:40.467 --> 00:01:44.671 to some random lecture somewhere and go, oh my gosh, this is exciting.
 34
00:01:45.171 --> 00:01:46.239 This is what all
 35
00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:50.143 my other things have led to in my life is being here at this moment
 36
00:01:50.443 --> 00:01:54.547 to get this idea that now is changing the way I see things.
 37
00:01:54.848 --> 00:01:58.618 You know, we're at that stage now where we are asking questions about what's next.
 38
00:01:59.419 --> 00:02:01.788 You were at a stage where, you know, you knew
 39
00:02:01.788 --> 00:02:05.425 you wanted to teach, that you wanted to focus on special education
 40
00:02:05.792 --> 00:02:10.029 and so what questions were you asking yourself, at that stage in your life?
 41
00:02:10.463 --> 00:02:15.301 So landing on special education was really by accident.
 42
00:02:15.902 --> 00:02:18.538 To me this is one of those happy accidents, right?
 43
00:02:18.538 --> 00:02:19.405 This is providence.
 44
00:02:19.405 --> 00:02:23.042 Because by accident, I'm looking at all the teaching majors.
 45
00:02:23.042 --> 00:02:24.310 I wanted to teach music.
 46
00:02:24.310 --> 00:02:28.915 I have, like, a huge love of music and my first year in college,
 47
00:02:28.915 --> 00:02:31.117 I was taking all these music classes, and I thought,
 48
00:02:31.117 --> 00:02:34.387 I don't know if I can get a job in music that's going to pay
 49
00:02:34.387 --> 00:02:35.922 if I had to provide for my family.
 50
00:02:35.922 --> 00:02:38.191 I had a very different focus at that time.
 51
00:02:38.191 --> 00:02:41.227 And I learned that they needed special ed teachers.
 52
00:02:41.227 --> 00:02:43.796 There was a huge shortage 25, 30 years ago.
 53
00:02:43.796 --> 00:02:45.064 There still is in special ed.
 54
00:02:45.064 --> 00:02:47.400 So I was like, oh, that sounds interesting.
 55
00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:50.003 I think I'm going to check that out. It's by accident.
 56
00:02:50.003 --> 00:02:53.006 But when I look back, it's like, not accident.
 57
00:02:53.206 --> 00:02:56.509 Again, to me, this is providence saying this is probably where you need to be.
 58
00:02:56.643 --> 00:03:00.580 And then once I got into it, I realized, okay, this is where I need to be.
 59
00:03:00.580 --> 00:03:04.150 I had that just great love for working with students
 60
00:03:04.150 --> 00:03:07.153 with disabilities and learning the things that I learned.
 61
00:03:07.320 --> 00:03:10.790 And so some of the questions I asked were practical questions.
 62
00:03:11.457 --> 00:03:15.361 What job is going to allow me to provide for a family?
 63
00:03:15.461 --> 00:03:18.031 You know, if I'm the sole breadwinner, how can I do that?
 64
00:03:18.031 --> 00:03:22.502 And so practicality for me led to a really great discovery.
 

Opportunities & Possibilities

You Can Make An Impact Now

You Can Make An Impact Now

Charles Rominiyi

513 videos on Opportunities & Possibilities: