On Saturday, April 18, 2026, Mount Tamalpais College (MTC) celebrated three decades of teaching, learning, and transformation at San Quentin at the College’s 30th Anniversary Gala, Together We Climb. Held at The Conservatory at One Sansome in San Francisco, the evening brought together formerly incarcerated alumni, current and former volunteer faculty members, staff, donors, partners, and friends, to reflect on the College’s history, honor its impact, and support its future.
Founded in 1996, MTC launched at a time when access to higher education in prison was extremely limited. Despite political and financial barriers, the college gradually gained trust from prison officials and a reputation for rigor and compassion among the prison population. For its first two decades, it was the only on-site, degree-granting college program in a California prison. Today, Mount Tamalpais College is an accredited, independent liberal arts college — the first in the nation dedicated exclusively to serving incarcerated students. The College provides a tuition-free Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts, along with college preparatory coursework in math and writing, serving approximately 300 students each term.
The gala marked an important milestone not only for the institution, but for the broader field of higher education in prison. Over three decades, the College has helped define what rigorous, student-centered higher education in prison can look like, building a model grounded in academic rigor, deep investment in students, and its long history of faculty engagement. MTC’s faculty are all volunteers, including professors, graduate students, and industry professionals from universities and institutions in the Bay Area and beyond.
“What began in 1996 under extremely difficult circumstances has grown into an institution shaped by trust, academic rigor, and a deep commitment to human possibility,” said Dr. Jody Lewen, President of Mount Tamalpais College. “As we look to the future, our goal is not only to expand access to high-quality higher education in prison, but to affirm the humanity of incarcerated people and advance the contributions they are uniquely positioned to make to the world.”
The program featured a cocktail reception, a seated dinner, multimedia storytelling, art installations, and remarks highlighting the history of the College, its impact, and its vision for the future. The evening marked the largest gathering of MTC alumni in the institution’s history; some alumni reconnected with former classmates and teachers they had not seen since they were incarcerated at San Quentin years before–a powerful reflection of the relationships, community, and impact MTC has built over 30 years.
“The most powerful aspect is that MTC created a space inside the prison where people could come together to think critically,” said Sha Stepter, an MTC alumnus and member of the Board of Trustees, whose sentence was commuted by Governor Jerry Brown in 2018. “Having the space and support to think critically empowers people to work towards their own liberation, in every sense of the word.” Stepter is now a San Francisco-based filmmaker and will graduate with a BA from San Francisco State in May.
As MTC enters its next chapter, the College is focused on expanding its impact by strengthening student and alumni support, investing in faculty development, increasing access to technology and library resources, and documenting its work to support and inform the broader field of higher education.
To learn more about Mount Tamalpais College’s impact or make a gift in support of its work, visit mttamcollege.edu/gala.
