All About Mentoring Spring 2011 - SUNY Empire State College

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I was not prepared for the stories of how the
participants’ knowledge-making experiences
led them to reach out to those who
continued to struggle, or how the evidence
of another’s setback seemed to genuinely
sadden them. Their focus seemed to shift
from being self-absorbed, to the world
around them, or caring for others. This
capacity for empathy signaled a fundamental
change for them in the way they perceived
themselves and those around them – from a
stance of doubting to believing.
There were others who characterized their
defining moments as those experiences
that taught them unexpected skills such
as those learned in the construction
technology classes.
[My best moments were] when we
built the first house, the Habitat [for
Humanity] house that we were building.
When we finally got done with it – wow –
‘look what we did, just a bunch of us.’
I think it was 15 of us that got to go out
all the time. Like ‘look what we did, we
made a house you know,’ and then we got
to have the people come, the owners –
yeah, that was really cool – to meet them.
It was awesome that we could. You
know – as a girl, I didn’t really ever think
about construction. I don’t know if I want
to do something like that – that’s a man’s
job – but it’s really not. Especially with
the electrical part – you use your brain
more and you don’t have to do all the
heavy lifting and all that stuff, but it’s still
just as interesting building the houses –
the experience was awesome, just the
people. It made me feel 100 percent better
about myself, about educating myself and
just being more knowledgeable, period.
Connection Between Learning
and Reintegration
As the participants shared their experiences
returning to their communities, they
provided valuable insight about education
as a tool for successfully overcoming
roadblocks. While the data clearly pointed
to the difficulties the participants have
faced, the data also underscored the
significance of their feelings about the
empowerment they gained from learning.
According to the findings, the ability to
find and keep a job had more to do with
the participants’ finesse at maneuvering the
maize of obstacles put in place by societal
norms that bar felons from being given a
chance to work. Most of the women had
some difficulty finding employment, even
though they could demonstrate aptitude
based on their education. While the majority
was working, some were only able to get
part-time employment, and others had not
been able to find meaningful or challenging
jobs. They said repeatedly, “Society is very
unforgiving.”
The participants’ stories offered some
examples of how higher education aided
in securing employment. Moreover, their
exposés about learning as a transformational
experience of self were, perhaps, as
influential in successful employment
outcome, and certainly paramount in giving
them the courage to overcome the many
obstacles they face with criminal records.
Schuante, who was hired shortly after
release in the field in which she was trained,
received an outstanding evaluation for her
six-month review. She gives the credit to her
college education because it changed her
outlook about herself and her capabilities as
a worker:
All this comes from [college]. I never
thought this would happen in my life. If
it wasn’t for [college] and me going in
and getting that education, and really
coming out and doing something with
it – applying myself … and that right
there, everything that I have, I could just
cry right now because of everything that
I have. Before I went in, I went in with
nothing, if it wasn’t for this class, the
program, I’d a came out with nothing.
Telemarketing is the only thing that’s
available for someone that doesn’t have
no experience or nothing like that. So
because of [college], I’ve come a long
way. And also, education has just changed
my life totally, if it wasn’t for the things
I got under my belt as far as those
credentials, I’d be out there struggling at
telemarketing or working at a hamburger
joint. I just have a different outlook on
everything.
In Schuante’s earlier description of self, she
used words such as “lost,” “hopeless” and
“depressed” to define her place in the world.
She now views the tremendous change in
her life as:
I mean now – now I feel so good. I
mean, look at the things I accomplished,
I actually have a GED, and then I have
college courses, and I did quite a few of
the college courses, and it’s like it just feels
good to me.
While Schuante was successful in securing
a job where she could apply her skills,
the majority of the participants reported
employment as the primary challenge
after release from prison. In spite of this
ongoing challenge, the women viewed their
educational experience as one that fueled
their sense of self-worth and their resolve to
live their lives differently.
Synthesis of Learning and
Community Re-entry Experiences
Through the participants’ expressions of
the influence of learning on their personal
growth, or ways of knowing, and their
hope for their futures, I was able to better
understand what education seems to
have done for these women. They knew
themselves differently. They could reflect,
they could choose, they built new capacities
that reach beyond the skills learned through
their course work. As a summarizing essay
of sorts, they shared their feelings about life,
the struggles that have shaped them, those
who remain significant in their lives, and
their educational journeys.
The findings underscored the significance
of the change that has occurred for the
participants relative to self-perceptions.
All of the participants noted positive
attributes about themselves such as
“someone with a good personality who
loves people and is also a good motivator,
good influencer … a very good person,”
“very independent and focused,” “I like
me, actually I love myself now … I didn’t
before,” “I’m proud of myself,” and
“happy, motivated, ready to learn …
I adapt well, extremely well.” Two of
the participants described themselves as
“survivors.” Although, their perceptions
of self were more positive, some of
participants used descriptors that pointed
to their tentativeness. One interviewee
shared that she still had “problems,”
“but the problems that I have I deal with
now, I deal with them.”
suny empire state college • all about mentoring • issue 39 • spring 2011