Chris Vitelli
These are students who understand at a deeper level than most how valuable an education can be. Education enables them to look forward to something better.
Foreword
Chris Vitelli, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President
Dear Merced College Colleagues, This month in the Blue Devil’s Advocate, we shine a spotlight on our Rising Scholars program, which offers education and support to currently and formerly incarcerated students. If you’re not already familiar with the program, I hope you’ll take the time to learn about how Merced College is working to educate justice-impacted students. More importantly, I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know some of those students in this issue. It is no exaggeration to say these are some of the most engaged and committed students we have at Merced College. In fact, two of this year’s 31 recipients of our Superintendent’s Honors—bestowed upon graduating students who have completed at least 60 units with a 4.0 grade-point average—are currently incarcerated. These are students who understand at a deeper level than most how valuable an education can be. Their paths have been fraught with misfortune, their plans waylaid by bad decisions, their hopes dashed by a system that has long been focused more on punishment than rehabilitation. Education enables them to look forward to something better. It can be dehumanizing to be locked away behind bars, especially for women, as highlighted in our story on the Central California Women’s Facility. What education provides to these students is not merely a path to a job or career, or to transfer to a four-year university—it’s humanity. In the classroom, inmates become students. They listen attentively to their instructors, and they strive to understand difficult concepts. Like all students, they may feel ashamed when they struggle or proud when they succeed. And thanks to our incredibly caring, committed faculty members, many of these students feel seen and heard in ways they have never felt before. This is a transformative and truly life-changing experience. The success of the Rising Scholars program at Merced College is, as you will learn, absolutely remarkable. Led by Jennifer McBride, Michelle Greenwood and dozens of faculty members, we are helping incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students turn their lives around and become positive, contributing members of our communities and our society at large. From humble beginnings, this program has grown into something we can all be proud of. The future is bright for Rising Scholars, and for all those inmates who choose the path of education as a way to build a better life. Sincerely,
Chris Vitelli, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President
In the classroom, inmates become students. And thanks to our incredibly caring, committed faculty members, many of these students feel seen and heard in ways they have never felt before. This is a transformative and truly life-changing experience.
-CHRIS VITELLI, Ed.D. Superintendent/President
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