We are delighted to announce the commencement celebration for three of our inside students at OSCI: Shawn, Kevin, and Mark.
Graduates Shawn, Mark, and Kevin with PEP staff and interns
We held a gathering with nearly 100 people, including fellow inside students, staff and leaders in the Department of Corrections, College Inside administrators for Chemeketa Community College, University of Oregon faculty and PEP interns, elected officials, and the friends and family members of our graduates. Graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree while incarcerated is an incredible feat, and requires years of committed study. Each of these three men worked extremely hard, achieved outstanding grades, encouraged their fellow students, and earned their college degrees.
Kevin not only is graduating with high honors, but is our first inside student to double major. His bachelor’s degrees are in General Social Science with a concentration in Crime, Law, and Society, and in General Humanities. Shawn graduated with high honors in General Humanities. He completed his degree in 2018, but this was our first chance to celebrate his graduation. Mark graduated with high honors in General Social Sciences with a concentration in Crime, Law, and Society. All three of our graduates plan to continue their journeys in higher education. They all see education as a profoundly transformative part of their experience of incarceration, and are working to expand access to college classes for more people incarcerated in Oregon.
Mark and Senator Dembrow
A number of people from the Department of Corrections and the University of Oregon offered remarks, praising the program and celebrating the graduates’ accomplishments. We heard about the impact education has for people who are incarcerated, and the particular example set by the three students—as leaders in a wide variety of programs as well as having a deep commitment to education. The highlight of the day’s proceedings was the speeches by the graduates, who thanked their communities for the support they have received, commented on their educational journeys, and called on the audience to expand access to education inside.
After the formal proceedings, we had a chance to share cake and informal time together. As with all celebrations, the cake--and the conversations that go with it--is an essential feature.
Congratulations to the UO PEP class of 2019!
