Cohort: 1
Where are you from?
I’m from Joliet, a city 25 minutes outside of Chicago.
What is your favorite field of study/topic?
My favorite subject is sociology and my favorite teacher has been Mary Patillo.
What is something you would like people to know about you as a student?
I would like for people to know that I’m a father of three boys and that regaining my freedom is most important — I need to be pushed away from the ways of the streets and toward education.
What does being a part of NPEP mean to you?
NPEP means the world to me. As tears fill my eyes, I understand that I wouldn’t be the man that I am if it wasn’t for NPEP and the Northwestern staff. I’m very grateful for the opportunities that NPEP has provided.
What course has had the biggest impact on you and why?
The community has had the biggest impact on me. Being in a learning environment takes your mind away from your daily reality. We’re incarcerated and we motivate one another. If one of my classmates is struggling with anything from schoolwork to family and personal issues, we’re there to support each other.
What is your favorite book or article that you have read in your NPEP classes?
My favorite book has been “Jim Crow Wisdom” by Jonathon Scott Holloway. I had an opportunity to meet him and that moment has stayed with me and will remain with me for the rest of my life. He has become a motivating factor behind regaining my freedom. He has accomplished so much and that lets me know that, despite my situation, I can overcome and accomplish a lot more than I have already.
What assignment (paper, project, homework) have you found the most rewarding?
The paper that stands out to me is a personal essay that I submitted last month. After you read it, you see how the individuals that are here with me are important, too. As NPEP students, we are a group of individuals that deserve a second chance. Inmates matter.