Mount Tamalpais College

Donors

Donor Testimonial: Vishal Saluja

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In April 2023, MTC staff had the opportunity to ask donor Vishal Saluja, Managing Partner at Indico Capital, about what motivates his investment in the College. Vishal shared his thoughts about his experience as a math tutor, the impact he was able to have with his investment, and his pragmatic and personal reasons for becoming an MTC donor. 

You’ve invested in Mount Tamalpais College and have encouraged others to invest. What motivates you? 

Everyone I dealt with at Mt. Tam College was very committed, and caring about the mission. You could pick up very clearly that the staff was very heavily invested in the community for the long run. Education is a basic necessity, but it becomes almost a privilege in a prison setting. MTC’s work provides a basic building block that is absolutely necessary for improving the lives of inmates – it builds confidence, improves core skills, and fosters a more positive self-image for inmates.

You spoke of the staff’s fidelity to the mission. How does the mission of the College connect to you personally?

It’s two elements. For me, education is what matters most, as it is what ultimately creates opportunities at all levels of society. I grew up in a culture that emphasized academics. Hence, I view the ability to give through education as a top priority.  The second element relates to helping those that are the most needy–a lot of the students at Mt. Tam College are very socioeconomically disadvantaged. Being able to make that connection between education and the most needy is very powerful for me personally. 

Tell me about your experience as a math tutor for the College. 

Being a tutor was an incredibly rewarding experience–you have to give a lot of yourself, and in return, you really feel like you helped someone. On both those fronts, I found my experience in tutoring over two-quarters something that really felt very good for me. 

Specific to my situation, I had a student who had perennially failed algebra, who had a lot of bluster but very low self-confidence with math, and was on the verge of giving up. I knew I was going to help this person get over this hump. He put in tremendous effort, saw the results come through, and subsequently requested that I tutor him through the next quarter so that he could finally finish his entire mathematics requirement. Helping someone accomplish what was a seemingly insurmountable task for them was deeply gratifying. 

You’ve helped raise money from friends or colleagues. What do you tell people about Mt. Tam College to convince them to invest in this organization? 

My first gift was during COVID. San Quentin inmates were suffering disproportionately from the COVID epidemic, and providing care packages through Mt Tam College was an easy way to help. More recently, I spearheaded Mt. Tam’s effort to fund an onsite computer lab–this was a discrete project that required capital for 70-80 computers and peripherals, with a goal of enabling every student to have a dedicated computer for their academic work. I underwrote the anchor gift, and raised funds from friends and family, getting 10-15 additional people to contribute. Last fall, a group of us donors visited the computer lab and we were thrilled to see a room full of students deeply engaged on new computers working on their assignments. 

Any final thoughts to share?

My charitable work through Mt Tam has allowed me to build a bond with a community that is far removed from my everyday existence. Helping San Quentin inmates, even in the smallest of ways, has been a way to build perspective, humility, and gratitude in my own life.  That is a real gift.

Donor Testimonial: Drew Behnke

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I am not only a donor to MTC but also a volunteer faculty member. Teaching at the college gives me a first-hand perspective as to how necessary the programming is to the population inside San Quentin. MTC students are hungry for knowledge and have largely been denied access to high-quality education. I hold MTC students to the same standards I would have for any student at UC Santa Barbara or any other higher education settings where I have taught. I have come to see that it is not only the access to education that students value, but being treated as intellectual equals. 

MTC has an amazing volunteer community but we would be nothing without the administrators and support staff. For example, there is a learning specialist for students with learning differences. There is a director of education technology working to get students access to laptops. We have program directors helping faculty shape curriculum and develop courses to be successful. These are but a fraction of the amazing support staff that help make MTC what it is, and I know my donation supports these necessary roles. I donate to MTC because I know my donations help make the college successful. I love MTC because everyone deserves equal access to education.

Donor Testimonial: Susan Hirsch

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I don’t believe in prisons. I do believe in higher education. Every day I teach we have count; that feels like prison. Every day I pass through three checkpoints; that feels like prison. But when I am in the classroom looking at students’ faces, when I read their words, hear their voices, I am renewed in my belief that a gathering place where we can discuss ideas and question our intent is meaningful. Last class, a student said that the classroom is a haven where intellectual thought is honored and prison talk left outside. He called the space sacred. There’s liberation in imagination. There’s freedom in the classroom. As an MTC donor and faculty member, this is what I am supporting.

Donor Spotlight: Our Monthly Supporters

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We’re excited to share reflections from a number of monthly donors. As you’ll see below, everyone has their own motivation for supporting the Prison University Project. We hope you’ll find their commitment and dedication to our mission inspiring. If you are moved to set up your own recurring donation, you can do so here!

Though my monthly contribution is modest, I feel it’s a small way to honor my values and show my love for the Prison University Project’s work. As an educator, I believe in the transformative potential of learning under the guidance of talented educator-mentors… When I taught in the program, I watched students grow and become allies to one another and imagine new futures for themselves, including reconciling with their past and moving forward with purpose, self-awareness, sensitivity, self-advocacy, and communication skills to rebuild their lives. What’s more exciting than that?

—Lisa Lomba

Once I became engaged with the Prison University Project, I was hooked—the students’ thirst for knowledge and openness to personal growth far exceeded that of students in other educational environments I had participated in…. My visits to San Quentin consistently energized me and cemented my commitment to education as the professional field that I wanted to work in for the rest of my life… Although distance precludes the privilege of being able to teach at San Quentin anymore, I feel a continued sense of connection with the Prison University Project through my monthly donation… It has been rewarding to watch former students graduate and to see the course offerings expand over the years; what really impresses me the most about the Prison University Project, though, is the way they enthusiastically support like-minded programs nationwide. I never doubt that my money is facilitating excellence not just within the walls of San Quentin, but in on-site prison academic programs across America.

—Nick Grener

I learned about the Prison University Project from my daughter, Mary Gould, who is now Director of the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison but then was working on her doctoral dissertation on the representation of prisons in mass culture… In principle I support higher education in prison on the basis of both social justice and humanitarian grounds. Specifically I support the Prison University Project because, as an outstanding academic program, it demonstrates best practices in providing higher education in a carceral setting. The students, staff, and volunteer instructors are all committed to the highest standards of academic excellence. I have personally witnessed how the students and teachers inspire and challenge each other to put forth their best efforts. And perhaps most of all, I have witnessed the joy and amazement of students as they come to appreciate and proudly embrace their intellectual abilities. Such commitment and dedication to quality college education deserves to be supported wherever it is found and particularly in carceral settings where it helps incarcerated individuals to change and transform their lives. Since I am no longer able to volunteer, I want to publicly demonstrate my ongoing support for the students and Prison University Project staff at San Quentin by being a recurring monthly donor. In this way I do my small part in helping to financially undergird the Prison University Project’s mission through a donation it can plan on receiving.

—Baruch Gould

I’ve worn many hats in my 70+ years: rock & roll singer, competitive junior golfer, solar energy pioneer, real estate agent/broker, developer, actor, producer, Realtor, volunteer firefighter, First Responder, EMT, grand juror, non-profit president and now, a semi-retired real estate investor, brother, uncle, husband, father, and grandfather… As a parent of two sons who have struggled with drug abuse-related criminal behavior, I became aware of the Prison University Project when one of them was San Quentin bound. Although my son didn’t have the opportunity to attend, my interest in helping the program was born… I’ve learned that as volunteers, we get as much, or more, back as we give. That dynamic of give and take is what excites me most about the Prison University Project; its potential to bridge the gap between higher education and the access to it. My hope is that the model will spread to prisons across the United States. It’s my belief that ACCESS to higher education can play an integral role for success in life.

—Keath North

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.