It’s confusing enough for the average high school senior to navigate choosing the right college, filling out long application forms, and figuring out how to access financial aid or student loan options. Now imagine doing that as someone who is well out of high school, has spent the last decade or two without access to recent technology, and is simultaneously grappling with intense trauma and social stigmatization. This is the experience of many Rochesterians seeking higher education after being released from incarceration.
The Rochester Education Justice Initiative (REJI) is stepping up to support community members who have expressed challenges with the process of applying and enrolling in college programs, and I am fortunate to help make that happen.
REJI is an organization that has been teaching college-level courses in local prisons since 2015. My personal introduction to REJI was through Josh Dubler, a professor in Religion and Classics, and the organization’s director. I started taking his courses during my first year of college, around the same time that I discovered the Community-Engaged Learning Program. I continued to take community-engaged courses, like Professor Dubler’s Incarceration Nation which is co-taught by REJI’s Assistant Director of Community Outreach, Precious Bedell. Last year, I learned that REJI had been making plans to expand their operations and had lots of opportunities for University of Rochester students to get involved.
Over the past few months, I have been working with REJI to produce a reentry guide all about higher education in Monroe County as my community-engaged capstone project. We envision the final product to provide information on everything from applying for financial aid to choosing a major, complete with community-specific people and organizations who can help along the way. My experience has easily been the most rewarding, transformative part of being a student at the University of Rochester.
Now, I work at the Center for Community Engagement as a Program Assistant, visiting classes to share about the program. I try to encourage students to do the program because of the benefits it provides to them like standing out on future applications, developing relationships with faculty, and getting hands-on experience in a field of interest. But I think the best reason is the chance to make a meaningful impact on this community and on yourself.
The University of Rochester is overflowing with resources and with students who want to change the world. The city of Rochester is overflowing with organizations that want to better their community but are often stretched thin for capacity and fighting an uphill battle against concentrated poverty and disadvantage. Yet so often, our students are warned not to cross the bridge, taught next to nothing about the history and culture of Rochester, and deprived of opportunities to meet and engage with the local community. The institution owes it to its students and to its neighbors to support the Community-Engaged Learning Program and foster positive relationships with the community of Rochester.
written by Hannah Witkin ’24