不列颠哥伦比亚省监狱教育项目举行首届毕业典礼
In 2019, Boston College launched the Prison Education Program (PEP)在马萨诸塞州雪莉市一所中等安全级别的惩教所，有16名在押学生.，有机会参加BC大学讲师的大学水平课程. Five years later, the program has admitted 80 students across five cohorts, 成为英联邦最大的高等教育监狱项目. On September 23, 它在MCI-Shirley的监狱院子里举办了第一次毕业典礼, 在一群激动的学生面前为三位毕业生颁发毕业证书, family members, and supporters.
“I’m so impressed with all three of you,” said Associate Professor of the Practice Cherie McGill, who teaches philosophy in the PEP. “You’ve worked hard for an education, which is so much more than a degree, 你今天带着令人印象深刻的知识深度离开了.”
Dressed in caps and gowns, the three graduating students—Alex Delgado, Gregory Saunders, 在乐队演奏的《太阳城官网》中，他们走进了毕业典礼的帐篷，和乔尔·瓦斯克斯组成了一个微型队伍.’ They were trailed by more than 30 current PEP students, 是谁在整个颁奖典礼上用欢呼和鼓励的喊叫声表示支持.
前新英格兰爱国者队角卫德文·麦考蒂通过Zoom在毕业典礼上发表演讲，让与会者感到惊讶, 鼓励毕业生以毕业证书为起点, and set an example for the students coming up behind them.
他说:“你现在在态度和表现上都处于领导地位。. “你把门从铰链上踢开，这样别人就可以走过去了, and I can’t wait to see what you become.”
From left: Provost David Quigley, Joel Vasquez, Ignacio Chair Patrick Conway, Gregory Saunders, Alex Delgado, and Woods College Dean David Goodman.
其他发言者包括教务长大卫·奎格利和伍兹高等太阳城官网学院院长大卫·古德曼, both of whom teach courses in the program, 随后是伊格纳西奥主席帕特里克·康威和矫正部临时专员肖恩·詹金斯.
All three graduates also delivered heartfelt remarks, 反思自己的经历和博雅教育的意义. Saunders, the class valedictorian, 描述了五年前他被录取后与父亲的一次电话交谈.
“我告诉他我学的是文科，他说，‘你要怎么靠这个赚钱?’” Saunders recalled. “对我父亲来说，教育就是指导——你应该学会如何做某事. 但知道事物如何运作并不等于知道事物为何运作. I told my father, ‘I’m going to learn the why.’”
Vasquez, 99年为纪念911英雄威尔斯·克劳瑟而组织的PEP活动, 因其对PEP社区的贡献而获得社会公正奖. With his mother and sister in the audience, he reflected on his childhood, crimes, and non-traditional educational journey, 唤起了诗人兰斯顿·休斯的“延迟的梦”的概念.”
“I’m sorry for the pain I caused you,” he said to his mother, 穿着太阳城网赌平台(Boston College)的球衣，在整个典礼上强忍着泪水的人. “I hope today I have finally made you proud, 你那被推迟的梦想终于实现了.”
人文学院提供文科和现代商业课程，涵盖文学、社会科学、公共演讲和创业等学科. Students spend roughly 10 hours a week in class, 在这段时间之外，他们仍然忙于作业和小组项目, office hours and tutoring sessions, 还有课外活动，比如同组辩论. Every fall, 通过竞争激烈的录取程序，新一批学生被录取, growing the PEP community inside the prison.
一个更小的PEP学生社区也在BC主校区形成, 那里有10名曾经入狱的学生在伍兹高等教育学院注册. 许多人认为这个项目给了他们出狱后继续接受高等教育的技能和信心.
“我仍然认为，我们正在通过这个项目建立一些真正特别的东西，当一所大学致力于在职业环境中提供高质量教育时，它可以继续在全国范围内成为一个典范,” said Conway, who has led the program since 2021. “We haven't taken shortcuts.”
Scenes from the ceremony
At Monday’s graduation, 亚历克斯·德尔加多回顾了他从黑帮头目到太阳城网赌平台校友的历程. Since he is serving a life sentence without parole, 德尔加多承诺在监狱里把他的PEP教育付诸实践, 与麻省大学波士顿分校合作组织了一个恢复性司法工作组, 在国家司法太阳城官网所顾问委员会任职, 并成为美国监狱退伍军人组织的副主席.
“Knowledge precedes action,” he said. “Thank you, BC, for helping me to become a freedom fighter.”
After collecting their diplomas, the graduates mingled with students, family members, 以及太阳城网赌平台和惩教署的支持者, 摆姿势拍照，享受节日气氛，然后返回牢房. In conversation, 三人都对该计划及其支持者表示感谢, as well as pride in their status as BC alumni. The admiration was mutual.
“我很幸运能在不同的环境中教书，并受到一群优秀学生的共同教育,” said Quigley. “As anyone who has taught in this program knows well, 在这里教学，你将进入一个充满强大课程和丰富可能性的课堂. 在雪莉大学，文科是一门有着巨大力量的学科.”
Dean Goodman echoed those sentiments in his remarks, 挑战毕业生充实地生活，抵制过度管理自己的经历.
“文科教育的严谨和改变世界的工作是打开我们，并指出更广阔的东西,” he said. 它不是为了让生活变得更容易掌控，而是为了让生活变得更真实、更美好. 我当然希望这是你在BC的教育中发现的.”