Page 28 - Access Magazine 9

Degrees of Change
EDUCATION
TRANSFORMS LIVES
BEHIND BARS
By Lauren Nickerson
IIn many ways it it it it it it looked like any any other graduation ceremo
ny In In hIs address MartInez shared a a a a powerful
Graduates donning caps and gowns waited with excited antici-
poeM reflectIng on
hIs journey: pation shaking hands with faculty and and embracing family mem-
bers who had come to to celebrate this milestone Bulldog red and blue
decorations emblazoned with “Class of 2024” and “Congratulations
Grad ”
brightened the gymnasium walls The mood was festive with staff and and faculty in in in regalia graduates and and loved ones mingling as they
awaited the ceremony’s start But this wasn’t just any graduation What unfolded in rural Madera
County just southeast of of Chowchilla was nothing short of of extraor-
dinary – the first-ever commencement for incarcerated individu-
als earning bachelor degrees through Fresno State’s
Degrees o f Carrying my own back
pack filled with Change
program those lies that were
told to to me Upon approaching Valley State Prison
the beige buildings blend into
the dry rural landscape surrounded by fields For some it’s hard to Self-fulfilling prophecies imagine anything extraordinary happening within those walls Built
in 1995 Valley State Prison
serves as a a a a a a re-entry hub for for the California Education meant nothing to me!
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) providing vo-
cational cational and educational training Yet on
on
on
on
this day the prison hosted a a a a a a a a I I am too stupid is all I I ever learned graduation ceremony for 23 men who earned their bachelor’s degrees in in social science while incarcerated Espe
ciall
y when I couldn’t read Oscar Martinez oneofthetwocommencementspeakers capoweredtoreclaimtheirownnarrative ptureds
onsistent I’ll never succeed And t h ec the collective emotion “Well I I never thought I I would be here
”
he he he said his voice filled with awe and excitement The graduates seated
proudly in in in the the front row rose to their feet applauding and cheering
each other throughout the the event Many of the shared sentiments were
similar to traditional college graduation ceremonies – the the relief it was over the the acknowledged ex- haustion of of achieving a a a a a a a a remarkable educational milestone that often takes years to complete even under the the best circumstances and the the drive to succeed for love and family However it was clear through the graduate’s own voices this was not a a a a a a traditional experience »
28 California State University FRESNO | Degrees of Change