Women Veterans at CCWF Find Community and Purpose Through Education

By James Leonard

Ashley Michalek spent months training to qualify for the U.S. Navy.

Throughout high school, she pushed herself physically, determined to meet enlistment requirements. She trained with her school’s basketball team in the winter and followed intense workout programs in the summer until she finally met the standards and enlisted.

“I knew the military would help me figure out what I would be good at,” she said.

But the plan she had worked toward for years ended abruptly when a medical issue led to her discharge during training. In the years that followed, a workplace injury and struggles with drugs and alcohol contributed to the circumstances that eventually led to her incarceration.

Michalek is one of several military veterans at the Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) who are part of a new collaboration between the 1st Lt. Peter J. Gallo Veterans Resource Center and the Rising Scholars program, designed to better support incarcerated veterans pursuing higher education.

“Being in college makes me feel like I’m back in the military,” she said. “I’m loving every moment of it.”

Francisco Contreras, an adjunct counselor for the Veterans Resource Center, said many veterans who enroll in college after incarceration describe a similar turning point.

“Prior to engaging in education, they struggled to find structure and direction,” Contreras said. “Through becoming part of an academic community—often in spaces where they once believed they did not belong—they have found stability, purpose and a renewed sense of identity. Education has become a turning point for many of them.”

More than 320 students at CCWF are currently enrolled at Merced College, and many are military veterans trying to rebuild their lives. The partnership between Rising Scholars and the Veterans Resource Center aims to better understand the experiences of incarcerated veterans and provide resources tailored to their needs, including counseling, transition support and workshops.

“Our intention is not only to support their academic success,” Contreras said, “but also to ensure they feel empowered during and after their transition.”

For many of the students, the experience of military service also creates an immediate bond with classmates who share that background.

Dondi Lawrence, director of Rising Scholars, said that connection can be especially meaningful for women veterans studying together at CCWF.

While many Rising Scholars students share the experience of incarceration, the veterans enrolled at CCWF often carry an additional layer of shared identity. Their military service creates an immediate sense of connection—one built on discipline, teamwork and the challenges of transitioning back into civilian life.

“The intersection of these experiences creates a strong sense of shared understanding and support,” Lawrence said. “Students build community and encourage one another along their educational journey.”

Angelina Rodriguez understands the value of that support.

When she first arrived at CCWF in 2004, she was housed on condemned row, where educational opportunities were extremely limited. Determined to keep learning, she enrolled in a paralegal correspondence course and completed it largely on her own, waiting weeks for answers to questions sent through the mail.

“I was proud of myself,” she said. “I earned an A in the course, and even more so, I earned my certification.”

Years later, after moving into general population at CCWF, Rodriguez was finally able to enroll in college classes through Merced College.

“I wasted no time signing up,” she said. “I recognized that I gain more through face-to-face classes, and the professors I continue to be assigned have been great blessings to me.”

For years, Rodriguez said she was reticent to speak about her military service after someone told her she was “a shame to our country.” Seeing Merced College actively support veterans has helped restore a sense of pride.

“Now that Merced is taking an active investment in veteran students, I know I made the right choice when I enrolled here,” she said. “I will do all I can to build this program into a valuable asset to Merced College.”

Another student veteran is already looking toward the future.

After leaving the Army, Adriana Alamillo eventually found her way to Merced College classes at CCWF, where she is studying sociology and psychology. She hopes to graduate in 2027 and transfer to Fresno State for her bachelor’s degree, with a goal of working on cold cases and helping bring closure to unsolved crimes.

Her motivation, she said, comes from her daughter.

“My daughter is my motivation to do better in life,” she said. “I want to make her proud of me. Plus, I would like to be proud of myself.”

For Michalek, the opportunity to pursue college has also opened the door to a new future.

Now studying to become a paralegal, she hopes to eventually work in the legal field and help veterans and others in need.

For the women veterans participating in the program, education represents more than a degree. It is a chance to rebuild identity, restore confidence and move toward a future shaped by service rather than past mistakes.

“The main point that I would like to emphasize is that no matter what life throws at you, don’t give up on your goals and dreams,” Michalek said. “You have to work hard for what you want, and the hard work will pay off.”