Mount Tamalpais College

Campus & Community

MTC Resource Fair Connects Students with Reentry Resources

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More than 150 Mount Tamalpais College students and alumni joined representatives from 16 community organizations inside San Quentin for the College’s 3rd annual Resource Fair on October 10. The event connected attendees with education, employment, legal, and reentry services designed to support their transition home.

The 2025 Resource Fair featured a broad range of reentry and educational resources. Among the organizations in attendance were Stay Out Solutions, The Uncuffed Project, and ThArrive, all of which provide reentry and transitional services, while UnCommon Law provides legal guidance and advocacy. Career development opportunities were represented by Resilience Education, and civic engagement was supported by Initiate Justice Action and the League of Women Voters.

For many students, the event was a chance to explore what reentry could look like in tangible terms and to connect directly with community partners. MTC student Steven Warren said he attended to learn what resources were available and to meet community members who could be part of his support network. “All of it—further education, the transitional support connections, voting organizations—are things I can utilize,” he said.

Continuing education programs were strongly represented, including UC Berkeley Extension, UC Berkeley Underground Scholars, and several Project Rebound programs (CSU East Bay, San Francisco State University, and San Jose State University). One student, Elmer David Rodriguez, described how networking with local university programs gave him a sense of optimism about continuing his studies after release.

“Networking with UC Berkeley and Cal State East Bay felt most valuable to me,” Elmer shared. “After meeting with the school bridge programs, I feel confident that I will find peer support and that I will acclimate.”

Additional partners included the Veterans Transition Center of California (reentry support for veterans), the San Francisco Public Library and Alameda County Library (public resources and education programs), and Planting Justice (job opportunities and community-based initiatives), all of which offer career development and reentry support.

For student Andrew R. Lopez, the event was as much about connection as it was about information. “I am practicing my reintegration into society, and find being around positive people aids me. Being around positive, free people is good for the soul,” said Andrew. “I am old and have been incarcerated for 35 years. I know the world outside has changed a lot. I hope to be able to enjoy the years that remain, both financially and with the least amount of stress.”

Following the Resource Fair, survey responses indicated that most attendees found the event valuable and relevant. Eighty-six percent of attendees said the event reflected their needs in planning for their release from San Quentin, while 79 percent reported feeling more confident about their parole plans after attending. In addition, 90 percent said they plan to follow up with organizations they connected with during the event.

“I’m an entrepreneur, so I loved accessing these resources,” student Zachery Rideaux said. “They were all geared to help me reach my goals and dreams. When I think about going home, I don’t fear anything but coming back in here.”

Get Involved

If you or someone you know represents an organization working in reentry (providing services for those reentering into society after incarceration) and would like to participate in future Resource Fair events, please contact Corey McNeil, MTC’s Alumni Affairs Associate, at cmcneil@mttamcollege.edu.

MTC Welcomes New Chief Advancement Officer, Carolyn Salcido

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Earlier this month, Mount Tamalpais College welcomed the newest member of its leadership team—Chief Advancement Officer Carolyn DeVoto Salcido.

In her new role, Carolyn leads the College’s advancement strategy and builds meaningful partnerships to sustain and expand MTC’s transformative mission.

“I feel so lucky to be joining the remarkable community of Mount Tamalpais College at such an exciting time,” said Carolyn. “As MTC approaches its 30th anniversary, there’s incredible momentum and possibility ahead. This position feels like the perfect fit—the perfect moment—to apply my experience in higher education toward shaping what comes next for the College.”

Carolyn brings more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit fundraising—twelve of those in higher education—and a deep commitment to advancing equity in education and social justice. 

Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President of Advancement at California College of the Arts, where she guided a high-performing team through leadership transitions, completed a major capital campaign, and helped secure transformational gifts that strengthened the institution’s future. She holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Loyola University Chicago.

A lifelong Marin County resident, Carolyn views her work at MTC as a natural extension of her passion for expanding educational equity in her community and beyond.

“MTC represents the perfect intersection of my professional experience in higher education and my personal commitment to expanding access to opportunity,” Carolyn added. “As a seventh generation Bay Area resident, I’m deeply proud to contribute to an institution that is transforming lives right here in our community—while helping to redefine what equitable education can look like nationwide.”

Mount Tamalpais College President Jody Lewen welcomed Carolyn’s arrival, noting the importance of her role in supporting the College’s tremendous impact and future growth. 

“Carolyn brings to Mount Tamalpais College not only deep expertise in advancement and fundraising for higher education, but also an understanding of what it means to build trust and community around shared values,” said Jody. “We are excited to have her as a partner as we continue working to advance the College’s mission and strengthen its foundation for the years ahead.”

MTC Alumni Scholarship Awardee: Brian Asey Gonsoulin

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For much of his life, Mount Tamalpais College alumnus Brian Asey Gonsoulin lacked the confidence to pursue education—a mindset, he explained, that was shaped by early struggles in the classroom, trauma he experienced at school, and the absence of positive role models.

“I didn’t have the confidence nor the grades to continue my education,” Brian said. He dropped out of high school in his senior year and later received an 83-years-to-life sentence. 

“I never thought of going back to school,” he added. “No one in my family, none of my acquaintances had ever gone to college. I had no role models who had done that, and school was the furthest thing from my mind.”

About fifteen years into his incarceration, he transferred to San Quentin, which offered a fresh start. Surrounded by peers pursuing higher education and supported by Mount Tamalpais College’s staff and volunteer faculty, Brian returned to the classroom.

“I started attending college classes in my 50s,” he shared. “My motivations evolved—I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this, that I could get a degree.”

Progress wasn’t linear. Early semesters were difficult, and the pandemic nearly derailed his plans. But encouragement from MTC faculty and a breakthrough research paper—his first-ever “A” grade in school—shifted his confidence.

“The assistance and assurance I received from MTC helped me build the confidence to move forward,” Brian shared. “It inspired me to be not only the first in my family to attend college, but the first to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.” He persisted through COVID-19 lockdowns to become part of the first graduating class of the newly independent, accredited Mount Tamalpais College.

In addition to his coursework, he stayed involved with a variety of programs at San Quentin that supplemented his studies and steered him towards his eventual career path: filmmaking.

“Working in the Media Center at San Quentin, I learned how to take an idea to a finished product,” Brian said. “The stories I want to tell are for the incarcerated—to motivate them to change themselves and reach for their own goals.”

In addition to earning his associate degree from Mount Tamalpais College during his time at San Quentin, Brian produced, directed, and edited the first TEDx San Quentin event in 2016. He also won a local Emmy for his production work on the 2024 short documentary Warriors Ground, a collaboration with the Golden State Warriors that profiles six members of the San Quentin Warriors basketball team, including Brian, who served as the team’s general manager.

After serving 26 years in prison, Brian paroled from San Quentin in early 2024. Today, he continues to build on the educational foundation he developed at MTC. He is currently a third-year Cinema major at San Francisco State University, and is one of 18 awardees of the 2025 MTC Alumni Scholarship Program, administered in partnership with 10,000 Degrees.

Since his release, Brian has also co-produced and directed the San Quentin Film Festival—the first industry-standard film festival held inside a U.S. prison—and serves as a producer and audio engineer with KALW Radio and its Uncuffed podcast, using storytelling to uplift incarcerated individuals and reshape how society views those impacted by incarceration.

Explore the MTC Alumni Scholarship Program and get to know the 2025 recipients.

MTC Alumni Scholarship Program

MTC Alumni Scholarship Awardee: Anthony Ammons Jr.

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When Anthony Ammons Jr. arrived at San Quentin in 2012, the basketball court became his entry point into the prison’s broader community. As a member of the San Quentin Warriors basketball team, he found camaraderie, mentorship, and a sense of purpose that extended far beyond the game. That experience, he shared, sparked a deeper interest in personal growth, community service, and education.

“At San Quentin, I learned how to be a follower of good people,” Anthony said. “Instead of being a follower of the gang mentality, the negativity, I became a follower of good habits, because I was trying to train myself to do things differently.”

Although Anthony had been a standout basketball player all his life, he had never experienced the same success in the classroom. As he became involved in San Quentin’s many programs, he discovered that the prison’s education opportunities were unlike those he had encountered elsewhere.

“I was never a big fan of school, and what I saw at other prisons with education programs was that you can go to class, but there was no community afterwards. So I didn’t attend school there,” said Anthony. “Mount Tamalpais College was different, and that is what really motivated me to enroll.”

Through Mount Tamalpais College, Anthony began envisioning a future beyond prison. Education became a way to build on the lessons he had learned through basketball—teamwork, perseverance, and accountability—and to turn them toward achieving his personal and professional goals.

“I went to prison at age 16 with a sentence of 102 years to life, and I served 20 years,” Anthony said. “I knew my professional experience alone wouldn’t get me where I want to go in my career. MTC helped me understand that with an education to ground that experience, there is no door I cannot walk through and no community I cannot help.”

He credits MTC staff and volunteer faculty for their consistency, care, and high expectations, noting that their support encouraged him to shift his priorities toward education.

“I thought, wow—you’re coming to a prison to teach a class, with a smile on your face? I gotta get my education,” Anthony said. “And what I loved most was that there was no judgment of failure, or even discussion of failure. It was like, what’s next? Are you going to stay in that failure mindset, or are you going to move forward? There was nothing but encouragement.”

On the court, basketball was also opening new doors for him. His talent, energy, and work ethic led him to star as one of the central figures in the 2019 documentary Q Ball, which chronicles the relationships, challenges, and growth of the San Quentin Warriors basketball team.

Due to his participation in MTC courses and other programs, as well as his work responsibilities at the San Quentin hospital, Governor Jerry Brown commuted Anthony’s sentence in 2018, and he was ultimately released in 2020. As he navigated reentry into society, Anthony continued to focus on serving his community and furthering his education.

Anthony’s first job after release was as an elevator operator for the Golden State Warriors. While in that role, he was struck by a stray bullet in Oakland, leaving him with significant nerve damage to his foot.

“Because of the gunshot wound, I couldn’t play anymore,” he said. “It put me in a cold depression.”

Anthony committed himself to recovery and professional growth, eventually earning a position with Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s office as district scheduler and public safety advisor. He relearned how to run and has recently returned to the basketball court. He remains close with his former San Quentin Warriors teammates.

Today, Anthony serves as a Special Projects Coordinator with the California Attorney General’s CARE Team, connecting with community-based organizations on reentry, disability rights, and immigration. In addition to his full-time work, he is pursuing an associate degree in Criminal Justice Administration at Long Beach City College, and was recently selected as a recipient of MTC’s Alumni Scholarship Program, awarded in partnership with 10,000 Degrees.

Explore the MTC Alumni Scholarship Program and get to know the 2025 recipients.

MTC Alumni Scholarship Program

Author Profile: Dr. Amy Shea, MTC Writing Program Director

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In 2010, MTC Writing Program Director Dr. Amy Shea began visiting cemeteries in Fresno, CA. She was struck by what she saw—on one side of a fence stood a lush Catholic cemetery with rows of headstones; on the other, a barren field dotted with weeds.

“It just looked like a dirt field,” Amy said, describing the county’s public cemetery. “If you look really closely, you could see these strips of cement with numbers written on them, and those are the plot numbers. That’s the only indication that it’s a burial place.”

That stark contrast stuck with her. It was her first encounter with what would become the focus of a personal journey to understand how poverty and homelessness shape the experience of death and dying in America—a journey that would culminate in her debut book, Too Poor to Die: The Hidden Realities of Dying in the Margins, released on September 9 by Rutgers University Press.

The book, which Amy describes as “a collection of closely connected essays,” explores what happens to those who die while unhoused, unclaimed, or otherwise unable to afford burial services at the end of their life.

Amy’s interest in the subject stemmed from a volunteer project her father took up in retirement. He set out to map all the cemeteries in Fresno for the Genealogical Society. In the process, he discovered reams of public disposition records of people buried in county cemeteries—documents the county had no clear plan for managing or preserving.

“Those public cemeteries are also known as potter’s fields,” Amy explains. “Basically, when someone can’t afford private burial or cremation, the county handles it.” When her father told her about the project, Amy—then living in Boston—had never heard of the system. “I thought, ‘What the heck is a potter’s field?’” The biblical term, she later learned, refers to land historically used for burying the poor or unidentified.

“It’s interesting because historically, these sites have always been for people who are marginalized or poor, those in the fringes of society. And that has continued,” she explained. “It’s a term that still gets used today, but there is a move to get away from using it because of the stigma it carries.”

Her father eventually transformed those records into a database—now housed at the Fresno County Public Library—documenting the locations of more than 11,000 people buried in the county’s public cemeteries. The project became Amy’s first window into how inequity extends even beyond life.

Personal experiences deepened her curiosity. “Fresno was the initial thing, and then there were other elements,” Amy said. “My grandmother died a couple years later. I got really into death positivity, which is a whole movement of people who very much believe in the need to talk about death and dying, and that we need to be prepared for end of life.”

As Amy learned more about end of life scenarios and spent time volunteering at homeless shelters, her questions grew sharper. “It was all just swirling around in my writer brain. What about all these people who end up somewhere like a county cemetery, who might not have any agency in where they are buried, or how they’re memorialized, or even how they die?”

She began researching in earnest, a process that would span her MFA and PhD at the University of Glasgow. “I went down a rabbit hole, and here I am 13 years later,” she said. “I wrote a few essays, including a really long piece that I took to a workshop. Somebody read it and told me, ‘This is not an essay. This is a book.’ A year later, I went back to do my doctorate, and that’s where I really dove into the research.”

Amy’s investigation became a national one. She began reaching out to health workers and executives, coroners, hospice providers, and local government officials across the United States to understand how public disposition systems work. “I could not believe how hard it was to find information about what happens when somebody dies and goes financially unclaimed,” she said.

As she moved through her research, Amy’s focus shifted towards broader issues of inequality. “I started to focus more specifically on people who are unhoused. I realized that if we’re talking about death, you really have to look at the disparities that exist long before that. When you’re dying and you’re living on the streets, what happens to you?”

The structure of Too Poor to Die mirrors that evolution. “The book starts with the death side of things, gradually moves into the dying conversation, and then expands out a little bit to look at health care,” Amy explained. “I take people on the journey that I went on. I was really just trying to figure it all out—find these cemeteries, figure out how this happens, where it happens, how it works in other places.”

Amy emphasizes that her book is not written for people who have experienced homelessness, but for those who have never considered what dying in poverty might mean. “Unhoused people don’t need me to tell them what it’s like,” she said. “I want people who haven’t considered it before—just like me—to read this book.”

“We all know there are unhoused people, and most of the talk about solutions is aimed at figuring out how we can avoid seeing it, which can potentially make it harder for people to get out of that situation,” she added. Amy examined this dynamic in greater depth in her recent op-ed, The Wrong Way to Fight Homelessness, published in The Progressive Magazine.

“My goal is to humanize homelessness. And to make people think: How do you want the end of your life to go? I hope my readers take action with their own end of life plans. If you haven’t done that—and you have the ability to—go get some plans in place.”

Amy is already planning her next project, building on the questions raised in Too Poor to Die. 

“A lot of people become unhoused because there’s a major loss in their life, whether it’s a divorce, job loss, or a death. I was surprised to learn that there were many people who hadn’t been homeless throughout their lives, and then suddenly became homeless as they were dying,” she said. “It has become a bigger issue in recent years, this aging into homelessness. And that has spurred my next book, which will focus on hospice and medical respite.”

This fall, Amy is sharing Too Poor to Die through readings and discussions across the country, including events in San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Louisville, Napa, Brooklyn, and Madison. 

Learn More | Purchase | Upcoming Events | Follow on Social Media

About the Author

Dr. Amy Shea holds both a PhD and MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow, where she also wrote a collection of essays titled Not All Deaths are Created Equal. Her work has appeared in Portland Review, The Massachusetts Review, Spry Literary Journal, Fat City Review, From Glasgow to Saturn, and the Journal of Sociology of Health & Illness.

During her MFA studies, Amy taught a creative writing workshop at Barlinnie, a men’s prison in Glasgow, Scotland. She joined Mount Tamalpais College as Writing Program Director in 2021 after completing her PhD. Her work with students inside San Quentin continues to shape her thinking about inequality and marginalization.

Craig Williams Jr.

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MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2025

This degree means the world to me. I did not graduate from high school, so graduating from college with an AA degree gives my family the opportunity to celebrate this accomplishment, which I denied them when I was a youth. They always told me that I could do anything if I put my mind to it, and with this achievement, I did what they told and taught me.

All the courses I took have been meaningful experiences to me, but the most challenging course I completed was Physics. I had not taken a math class for seven years, and it hit hard. I overcame the challenge by attending study hall every week, and I received a B+ at the end of the course. College has changed me; now, if I do not know something, I am not afraid nor ashamed to ask for help. I learned that I will not move forward in life through my own understanding alone.

Being around people who volunteered their time to teach those who had been labeled as “non-rehabilitative” by society will always have an impact on me. 

Thank you and congratulations to all of the Mount Tamalpais College faculty and staff who helped me access higher learning and reach this academic achievement. I am looking forward to enjoying the moment and getting started on my next degree.

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025

Charles Townsend II

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MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2025

Earning my Associate of Arts degree with MTC means a great deal to me, and the experience has been invaluable. It is an achievement that has shown me the power and endless possibilities in setting goals and seeing them through. This journey has continuously poured self-confidence into my sense of being.

Each assignment gave me greater understanding of the topic, while its completion enhanced my ability to understand who I am and what I’m truly capable of. Despite the challenges of being incarcerated and the complications that came with the COVID-19 outbreak, my children served as my motivation, and my expanding confidence gave me a steadfast focus on obtaining my degree. 

The graciousness of every MTC staff member, the benevolence of every one of my professors, and the reciprocal exchange of ideas between students has been MTC’s greatest asset and gift to me. 

It made me feel human and worthy of redemption in a system that quells one’s humanity and consistently causes one to question their values. I am forever grateful for these experiences and for MTC.

I feel prepared for my future scholastic endeavors—I plan on obtaining my BA or BS degree—and equipped for social endeavors as well.

Charles Townsend is graduating in absentia after being selected for the Male Community Reentry Program. He was transferred to Los Angeles County in May 2025.

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025

Chris Rigsby

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MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2025

This degree is the first thing I have ever finished. I’ve had so many opportunities in my life, but my addiction has always gotten in the way. Now, being sober, I realize I can accomplish so many things.

One learning experience that has stayed with me was working with Amy Jamgochian, Chief Academic Officer, in English 101B. She had us reading philosophy for the first time, and in the beginning, I was so lost—but as the class moved forward, I started to activate a part of my brain I didn’t know I had.

The college experience has made me more confident in my ability to get things done, and as a prolific procrastinator, that feels good! Pushing through my procrastination was one of the biggest challenges I faced in earning this degree. 

Another challenge was working with people who held very different belief systems from mine. Through that, I’ve learned that things aren’t always black or white—I’m now able to find similarities instead of focusing on differences.

Next, I would like to get a BA and use that degree to become a drug and alcohol counselor. I love math, so I’m looking forward to taking a math class for fun, and I plan to serve as a teacher’s assistant for MTC in the fall. I really don’t want to stop learning now that I’ve started.

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025

Carl Raybon Jr.

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MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2025

At this stage of my life, the achievement of earning my associate degree has rejuvenated my hopes for a greater quality of life. It has reminded me that I am worthy of believing in myself and can achieve anything—I am capable of having a presence larger than I ever believed before. By participating in a program like MTC that allows me to further my education, I am continuing to strive for freedom from self-degradation.

When I reflect back on the guilt and hopelessness that I felt about being imprisoned, I’m also reminded of how I was not able to find a reason to believe that my life was going to be alright. With a life sentence hanging over my head, what was there to believe in… forever behind bars? When I began college classes, I did so to take advantage of the opportunity to move around outside of my cell, knowing that I would benefit from staying busy and occupying my mind with anything other than emotional trauma. As the time passed and I began to complete classes, I started to believe that there was real value in achieving my degree. Working toward this goal made me feel good about myself, and my quality of life and my disposition changed. 

My will to continue learning brought about changes that have led to action, honesty, and openness towards anything I look forward to doing.

To earn this degree, I had to put aside any insecurities I had about learning and apply myself toward achieving the goal that I had abandoned in the past, over and over again. I committed myself to being open-minded, asking for help when needed, and showing up to receive the guidance of the process.

As I look to the future, there’s a possibility that I may continue on and strive for a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences and eventually become a counselor.

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025

Hung Pham

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MAKE A GIFT IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF 2025

This degree is more than just a paper that I’ll hang on the wall—it is the first and only educational degree I have received in my life, beyond my GED. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem knowing that I have achieved something worthwhile. More importantly, this degree will open doors for me. It will provide me with opportunities to advance in life, furthering either my education or job prospects.

Through the process of studying, I’ve become more disciplined and structured. I was forced to learn how to develop time management skills in order to maximize my study time and complete homework. By learning different subjects in arts and humanities—such as history, philosophy, literature, and world religions—my worldview has expanded. 

I have gained more empathy and understanding and have become more appreciative of human conditions. I realized what it means to be human—a good human.

The first challenge was to overcome myself. When I first began this journey of higher education in 2020, I was overwhelmed by the thought of my workload—the writing, homework, and the amount of reading. I dreaded the prospect of these difficult tasks. To overcome these fears, I spent more time studying and writing in the study hall, accessing support from MTC tutors.

The next challenge was to find the time within my busy schedule to study, and a place to do it. Writing was particularly challenging because I don’t have a table in my prison cell. I was on the top bunk, so writing was decidedly difficult, and my cellmate was always present. The study hall was not always open during the times I wanted to do my work. I overcame these challenges by making time to study whenever possible and working more at home.

My most meaningful experiences at MTC were the interactions I had with faculty members. Throughout the years I have spent at MTC, I was fortunate to meet many talented and inspirational faculty. They are professional and good at what they do. My interactions with them instilled in me a sense of purpose and direction, and they inspired in me the passion for higher education and volunteerism. I am very appreciative of their work and am moved by their selfless acts, because it shows me that there are still good people in the world and that they care. They softened my cynicism toward people and encouraged me to also work, in any small capacity, toward the betterment of humanity.

Now that I have completed my AA degree, my next goal is to obtain a BA degree. Until then, I will continue to participate in the coding program, The Last Mile, and do MTC voluntary work!

MEET THE CLASS OF 2025