The College Program
College Program testimonials
Student success
There are many success stories from The College Program’s 25-year partnership with and for incarcerated women.
An extremely poignant success involves one of our earliest students, Ms. Serena Nunn, a first-time offender sentenced to 16 years due to federal mandatory-minimum sentencing guidelines. Ms. Nunn was the first student to earn her associate’s degree through our program. President Bill Clinton commuted her sentence and, after her release, she graduated with a bachelor's degree from ASU and earned her J.D. at the University of Michigan law school.
Ms. Nunn was admitted to the Georgia State Bar, where she worked as a Public Defender in Atlanta. Then, President Barack Obama granted her pardon request. After receiving the pardon, she continues her work as an attorney and as an advocate for change within the legal system.
More stories
This program has provided me with opportunities that will help me overcome otherwise impossible situations by assisting me in having a productive and successful future.
Without the volunteer program, there would be no one to offer hope to us that we can change our behaviors and break the destructive patterns that led us to criminal associates and/or activities.
The college courses that I have taken, as well as the courses that other women here have taken, are a big help in increasing our self-esteem and self-worth. This opportunity gives us hope for a better crime-free future and gives us greater marketability upon our release.
I feel that, with these outstanding individuals' help and the funding needed for this program, I can continue to educate myself and build marketable skills to return to society and be productive. This opportunity gives me another chance to prove my ability to succeed.
I have no one to blame but myself for being in the situation I'm in, but thanks to wonderful people with philanthropic hearts, as well as the invaluable assistance from the Arizona State University volunteers, I may yet be able to achieve my goal, as will other women who follow.
(The volunteers') dedicated work and constant words of encouragement help many women, including myself, find the courage and self-esteem to charter the waters of taking college classes.