Students who have been involved in the criminal justice system can face significant
barriers to academic and career success. Rising Scholars is an organization that hopes to change that.
“The general premise of Rising Scholars is to support folks that are coming home or have any experience with the criminal legal system and want to continue their higher education,” said Rising Scholars student Lily Gonzalez.
“Whether that means continuing to a BA or PhD or the trades, and the goal of that is to give folks more options so that they don’t return to carceral spaces,” said Gonzalez.
Representatives from other Rising Scholar programs around the state at schools such as Fullerton and CSUN came to the meeting last Thursday in person and on Zoom.
They aim to help campus faculty set up their programs at College of the Canyons.
“I’m just hoping to achieve more equity for our students,” said Rising Scholars Tara Williams.”
“Basically just teach more students, bring education and also to the community to see if we can get more community involvement with the students and help in terms of employment, employability, accessibility to community resources, things like that,” said Williams.
Gonzalez is a Rising Scholars student who was formerly incarcerated and now hopes to teach others how valuable Rising Scholars is by reflecting on her past.
“I know the power of higher education, and higher education also reduces recidivism. If folks have a bachelor’s degree, the recidivism rate is probably 3% instead of 76%. And for folks with a master’s degree, that’s zero,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez says she has made it a goal in life to give others the same opportunity she
was given all those years ago. She believes Rising Scholars gave her that opportunity and hopes others will experience it.
