The first time I enrolled in college was in 2004 when a local private college offered classes at Greene Correctional Facility. I was 17 years old and I was only able to to complete two college classes before the college lost funding to run the program. Like many other incarcerated college students in New York, the loss of Pell and TAP grants for people in prison interrupted my educational journey. And unfortunately, it would take more than six credits for me to transform my life.

I entered the system at 15 despite having a good upbringing. In fact, my father was a correctional officer who begged the judge not to send me away when I first got in trouble. As a teen, trying to fit in with the wrong crowd led me down a dark path where I made many mistakes, including being entangled in the juvenile, state and federal prison system. 

I’ve spent 20 of my 38 years behind bars, but it wasn’t until I was 35 years old that I had access to a college program again. Thanks to North Country Community College's presence at FCI Ray Brook, I was able to enroll in their Entrepreneurship Management degree program.........

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