Mount Tamalpais College

MTC News

Introducing Our New Grants Officer and Executive Assistant

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We are thrilled to welcome Sharyl McGrew as our new Grants Officer and Wendy Quezada as our new Executive Assistant.

Sharyl McGrew is excited to bring her extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising and higher education administration to the Prison University Project development team. Prior to joining the Prison University Project, she worked as a grant writing and project management consultant for a range of education and social service clients, raising over $40 million. She also worked for 7 years at the WASC Senior College and University Commission, overseeing several key accreditation processes and making policy recommendations related to innovation and change in higher education. From 2009-16, she taught English and Communications classes for the Prison University Project and also volunteered with San Quentin’s Alliance for Change. Sharyl earned a BA in English Literature from UC Santa Cruz and an MS in Community and Regional Development from UC Davis.

Prior to joining Prison University Project, Wendy Quezada worked in higher education and non-profits in the Bay Area. As the first in her family to obtain a college degree, she is passionate about access to quality education for all.  In her spare time, she loves taking her two dogs on long hikes, and spending time with her husband and two young daughters. Wendy holds a B.A. in Anthropology and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Introducing New Board Members

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Published in the April 2019 newsletter, which you can read in its entirety here.

In 2018, the Prison University Project welcomed six new members to the board of directors.

  • Elana Leoni
  • Haley Pollack
  • Jeff Feinman
  • Kathy Richards
  • Patrice Berry
  • Theresa Roeder

Theresa Roeder is Professor of Decision Sciences in the College of Business at San Francisco State University. There, she is actively involved in improving student access to education as well as the education itself. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at UC Berkeley, where she also occasionally teaches. Theresa is a current Prison University Project math tutor and has co-taught Introduction to Business and Communications. She previously served on the Board of Directors for and as webmaster of the Oakland Symphony Chorus.

Jeff Feinman is the West Coast Executive Director of Springboard Collaborative, a nonprofit that supports school districts to close the reading achievement gap through family engagement. Prior to leading Springboard, Jeff was the Vice President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula where he redesigned all college access programming. A Bay Area native and UC Berkeley and USF alum, Jeff also led Mission Graduates as its Executive Director from 2006-2012 and founded The DJ Project — an urban arts program that leverages hip-hop pedagogy and entrepreneurship to engage young adult populations. The program celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2019.

Patrice Berry is currently a FUSE Corps Executive Advisor in the Office of Mayor Libby Schaaf in Oakland, CA. Previously, she was the Director of College Track, East Palo Alto. Prior to College Track, Patrice served as director of the Student Success Center at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and co-founded the Leaders of Change program. Patrice earned her B.A. in political science from Swarthmore College and holds an M.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where she was a Woodrow Wilson-Rockefeller Brothers Fund fellow. She currently is completing her Ph.D. at Temple University.

Haley Pollack is the Principal of College and Career Pathways at Five Keys Schools and Programs. She has been an educator for over ten years, working in a variety of capacities to help students meet their own educational goals and gain confidence in their own innate abilities. After receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she taught History and Gender Studies to a wide range of students at San Francisco State University, Diablo Valley College, and Santa Clara University. As a volunteer with the Prison University Project, Haley taught a number of classes, including working in study hall as a writing tutor. As an advisor at College Track, she worked with low-income and first-generation college students, helping them to achieve their goals of a college degree.

Kathy Richards, J.D., retired from a solo law practice focused on family and dependency law. She has served as an instructor since 2014 for the Prison University Project and as coach for San Quentin’s Ethics Bowl team. Kathy is currently the Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma Speakers Series. Previously, Kathy served as a Board member for the Lawyer Referral and Information Services under the auspices of the SF Bar Association and as a Board member and Secretary of the Willmar Family Grief & Healing Center. She has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing and Research at Golden Gate University School of Law and Adjunct Professor of Family Law at SF State Paralegal Program.

Elana D. Leoni is the Founder of Leoni Consulting Group LLC, a boutique consultancy aimed at helping edtech organizations with their online marketing efforts, specifically focusing on social media, influencer, and content marketing, along with authentic community building. Prior to this, Elana spent eight years as the Director of Social Media Strategy & Marketing at Edutopia / The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Elana also spent five years within a marketing capacity at a SaaS corporate philanthropy startup, specializing in CSR and corporate volunteerism. Elana graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Business Administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and recently graduated from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley with her M.B.A.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

2018 by the Numbers

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2018 was our twenty-second year of offering the College Program at San Quentin. We’re excited to share the following data points from last year.

Over the course of 2018:

  • 407 students completed at least one course in the College Program
  • 282 students enrolled in credit courses
  • 296 students enrolled in college prep courses
  • 2.38 courses were taken by students on average
  • 35% of students enrolled in < 4 units
  • 27% of students enrolled in 4 to 8 units
  • 38% of students enrolled in > 8 units
  • 80% of students completed courses
  • 9 students graduated
  • 29 courses were offered
    • 6 college prep courses
    • 23 credit courses
  • 362 volunteers participated
  • 26,234 hours were donated by volunteers

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Introducing Our New College Preparatory English Program Coordinator: Deirdre Judge

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We are thrilled to welcome Deirdre Judge as the new College Preparatory English Program Coordinator. Deirdre’s job duties will include: placement and management of English College Prep volunteers, student assessments, development of new student orientation and other student resources, and syllabus and curriculum development. The College Prep Program serves over 225 students annually, and on average, students spend two years in the program before advancing to the credit level courses.

Deirdre has dedicated their career to facilitation and curriculum design according to critical pedagogy. They believe in education as a strategy for freedom. Prior to coming to the Prison University Project, their experiences included teaching a feminist reading group in a women’s state prison, training educators, and tutoring high school and college writing. They hold an MA in Educational Studies from Tufts University. Deirdre loves speculative fiction and is almost always in the mood for homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Remembering Jane E. Kahn

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We are sad to announce the passing of Jane E. Kahn, a dear friend and supporter of the Prison University Project. Jane dedicated decades of her life to fiercely protecting the wellbeing and dignity of people incarcerated in California and beyond, and set an example for the world of a life filled with compassion, generosity, and meaning. We will miss her terribly and her spirit will be an integral part of our organization forever. An obituary written by Toby Rubin and published in The Jewish News of Northern California is included below:

The Bay Area Jewish community lost one of its brightest lights with the death of Jane Kahn on Dec. 26, 2018. She was 64. Jane was a model of tikkun olam in all aspects of her life, bringing her belief in the divine within all humans to her family life, her friendships, her work representing and advocating for the rights and dignity of incarcerated individuals, her volunteer leadership in Jewish and secular nonprofits and her philanthropy.

Jane was a fighter. She worked tirelessly on behalf of California’s prisoners, advocating for the civil rights of incarcerated persons with mental illness and other disabilities for decades. She believed that being incarcerated or without a home did not make a person less than human; she recognized the humanity of all around her. She fought against the indignity of homelessness with Religious Witness for Homeless and Hamilton House, against capital punishment with Death Penalty Focus, and for a brighter future for prisoners through Prison University Project.

Jane was also a lover. Her Jewish soul, bright smile, intelligence and tremendous compassion captured the hearts of people wherever she went. It was standing room only at Sinai Memorial Chapel in San Francisco on Dec. 28.

On her second day of college at Brandeis University, Jane met Michael Bien. From that day on, “Jane and Mike” or “Mike and Jane” seemed to be the only way to truly understand either of them. They both were raised in Jewish homes and raised their three sons, Ben, Max and Joey, in communities built through the JCCSF preschool, a family havurah, Brandeis Hillel Day School, Camp Tawonga, New Israel Fund, and Congregations Beth Sholom and Emanu-El. Jane was an active parent and volunteer at all institutions, including her leadership on the Camp Tawonga board.

Jane held Israel —its people and place — deep within her heart. Israel as a political entity became a painful challenge. In her remarks as co-recipient with Mike of the New Israel Fund Guardian of Democracy Award, Jane the lover and Jane the fighter came together. While others whispered to each other about the difficulty of talking about Israel with their young adult children, Jane shared the tensions within her own family. She believed that pushing out of our “tent” young adults who question and challenge the policies and practices of Israel regarding the Palestinian people is not the way to strengthen Israel or the Jewish people.

She always leapt to defend those she represented and those she loved.

Until the end, she took care of her enormous circle of loved ones. She faced her disease just as she embraced life. She showed us how to live each day as fully as possible, love fiercely, persevere whatever the obstacles. She dove into study, pursuing questions of living, dying, and the life of the soul. She wanted to be sure that not only she, but everyone she loved, would be ready for the moment that she’d be gone. She was remarkably brave and strong for over two years, right up until her last day. Jane prepared us for her death. Let us all be blessed by the lessons of her life.

Attribution: This obituary originally appeared in The Jewish News of Northern California on January 8, 2019.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Celebrating Student Expression at Open Mic Night

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On December 28, 2018, the Prison University Project hosted its fifth annual Open Mic night in the San Quentin chapel and invited students to share creative work that they developed in class or on their own, such as poetry, dance, short stories, and music. It was a wonderful evening that showcased our students’ diverse talents and interests. Photos of the event and a copy of the program are included below.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Ear Hustle at City Arts & Lectures to Benefit the Prison University Project

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Nigel Poor, former Prison University Project instructor, visual artist, and co-producer and co-host of Ear Hustle, will join Earlonne Woods, former Prison University Project student and co-producer and co-host of Ear Hustle, for a talk at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco on March 29, 2019. Ear Hustle is one example of the impact Prison University Project students are having on conversations around criminal justice and incarceration.

From City Arts & Lectures:

“Ear Hustle presents stories of life inside prison, shared by those living it. The podcast is a partnership between ​Nigel Poor,​​ a Bay Area visual artist, and ​Earlonne Woods​​, formerly incarcerated at​ San Quentin State Prison​, and was co-founded with fellow inmate ​Antwan Williams. ​​The Ear Hustle team works in San Quentin’s media lab to produce stories that are sometimes difficult, often funny and always honest, offering a nuanced view of people living within the American prison system.

In addition to co-producing and co-hosting Ear Hustle, Poor is also a visual artist whose work explores the various ways people make a mark and leave behind evidence of their existence. Her work can be found in various museum collections including the SFMOMA, the M.H. deYoung Museum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. She is also a professor of photography at California State University, Sacramento.

In November 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown commuted Woods’ sentence after 21 years of incarceration. Upon his release, Woods was hired by PRX as a full-time producer for Ear Hustle, and will continue to work with Poor, contributing stories about re-entry.

This event is a benefit for Prison University Project.”

Get your tickets here.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Reimagining Justice, Together

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The Prison University Project is excited to partner with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) in its efforts to address systemic issues around criminal justice reform in the United States. As the funding landscape shows increased interest in tackling mass incarceration, Aly Tamboura, former Prison University Project student, current board member, and Manager of Technology and Program Delivery at CZI, has served as an important liaison between funders, programs, and communities most impacted by the criminal justice system. Watch him, and others, discuss CZI’s important work below.

To learn more about CZI’s approach to philanthropy and system change, read David Plouffe’s piece on the Justice & Opportunity initiative.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Where the Movement Starts

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Published in the November 2018 newsletter, which you can read in its entirety here.

On October 5, the Prison University Project hosted an academic conference inside San Quentin, entitled Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reform: 21st Century Solutions for 20th Century Problems. Panelists included college students at San Quentin and outside academics, and Patrick Elliot Alexander, author of From Slave Ship to Supermax: Mass Incarceration, Prisoner Abuse, and the New Neo-Slave Novel, delivered the keynote address.

This was only possible because all came off as planned. There could have been a lockdown or a quarantine, either of which would have kept students from attending or guests from coming into the prison. There might have been delays, so students missed half of the event. There could have been an alarm on the yard, leaving students stuck on the spot until it cleared. Student speakers and facilitators may have found themselves in risky situations, called upon to critique their captors or disagree with others in the face of potentially serious social or political repercussions. The list goes on and on, and even after several years working inside the prison, I know I don’t know the half of it. But all such contingencies are examples of the reason it is critical for incarcerated people to have a voice in academic conversations about prison: only they know in depth the realities of incarcerated life. Only they have some of the true keys for analyzing what reform should look like, or if “reform” is in fact the answer.

The goal of including incarcerated voices in academic conversations about incarceration was what led us to start planning this conference. Students and alumni inside the prison applied to be on the conference committee, and together a small group of us collaborated on a call for papers, which hubristically announced this as the first academic conference to be held inside a prison—this is not the case, as it turns out, but we were excited to start receiving dozens of submissions, both from our students inside and from outside scholars from across the U.S. In the end we received almost 100, so many that we realized, to some of the committee members’ dismay, that we would have to send out some rejections.

We were also eager to help our student participants prepare for this professional opportunity, in which they were on panels with academics far more experienced in writing and presenting: volunteers Chris Alfonso and Debbie Mayer stepped up to help student presenters with research and writing; Prison University Project Board member and volunteer instructor James Dyett assisted student speakers with public speaking skills and student panel moderators with facilitation strategies. Our students did magnificently.

These and other concerns filled our sometimes twice-weekly meetings. We disagreed, argued, and spent hours upon hours talking through complexities of panel configurations. I’m filled with admiration for the dedication, hard work, and brilliance of my co-planners—Chris Alfonso, Wayne Boatwright, Noble Butler, Clark Gerhartsreiter, James King, Timothy Thompson, Jesse Rothman, and Jesse Vasquez, many of whom had never attended a conference, but all of whom approached the planning with passion, seriousness, and a spirit of collaboration. The theme of the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison in Indianapolis this November is “Building a Movement,” but we demonstrated with our own sister conference that the movement truly starts inside.

Amy Jamgochian is Prison University Project’s Academic Program Director.

Please note that the Prison University Project became Mount Tamalpais College in September 2020.

Allison Lopez Will Begin as Learning Specialist this Fall

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A few months ago we launched a search for a Learning Specialist to allow us to create and share best practices in trauma-informed instruction as well as methods for identifying and supporting students with learning disabilities.

Because such a high proportion of our incarcerated students are living with the long-term effects of trauma, student support services that incorporate trauma-informed practices are particularly critical for our work. Our goal is to understand the impact trauma has had on our students’ educational experiences, both in the way they view themselves as learners and their awareness of the resources available to them.

In a survey of incarcerated students enrolled in the College Program, nearly 90% were victims of violence or abuse while growing up, nearly 50% had experienced homelessness, and 36% had struggled with food insecurity. Of the surveyed students, 33% reported that they either had been diagnosed with a learning disability or suspected they had one. These experiences can cause long-term emotional and psychological barriers to learning. Currently our instructors are trained to identify students who are struggling and develop plans to help them finish course materials at their own pace. We created the Learning Specialist position as an extension of our work in an effort to train staff and faculty to maintain physically and emotionally safe learning environments in which student needs are met with a holistic, collaborative, and culturally competent approach. One that empowers and supports our students with learning disabilities and benefits our entire student body.

Allison Lopez brings years of experience to this role, previously serving as the College Preparatory English Program Coordinator. In this new position she will design, implement and manage expanded services for students with learning disabilities, psychological obstacles to learning, and challenges related to a history of trauma. Broadly, she will work to build organizational capacity to improve student support.

This new position is made possible by generous support from the Ascendium Education Group, and is tied to a larger initiative to share these new trauma-informed practices and approaches with practitioners of prison higher education around the country.