Imagine trying to earn a university degree in an environment defined by constant disruptions, no privacy, impending court dates and ongoing family struggles, and persistent self-doubt. For the students enrolled in the Â鶹APP’s Prison Education Partnership, these struggles are daily realities of their educational journey.
On Wednesday, May 20, eight students at the Maine State Prison marked a hard-earned milestone. Their commencement ceremony showed what access to higher education can make possible when students are given the opportunity, structure, and support to keep moving forward.
It took graduate Dustin Carpenter ten years of steady, patient effort to earn his Bachelor of Liberal Studies. “Time will pass no matter what,” Carpenter reflected. “Who will you be when it does? Don’t watch the clock. Do what it does. Keep going.”
Turning to the faculty and staff who supported his decade-long journey, he added a phrase that cuts straight to the core of why this work matters: “Thank you for treating our minds as something valuable.”
Access that meets students where they are
UMA is committed to making higher education accessible to anyone in Maine, wherever they are in their educational journey. In a place like the Maine State Prison, that means giving students a genuine chance to find their confidence, earn a degree, and become problem-solvers who make their communities stronger.
The impact of that access was evident in graduates’ accomplishments and vision:
- T. Tyler Thibeau, named UMA’s Interdisciplinary Studies Student of the Year, has completed his sentence. He crossed the commencement stage at the Augusta Civic Center on May 9, and is now enrolled in a graduate computer science program at the University of Maine pursuing both a master’s degree and a Ph.D.
- Thomas Heaberlin, recipient of the Perseverance Award for his resilience through setbacks, earned his Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and was recently approved to begin graduate studies.
- Abdihamit Ali, who earned an Associate of Science in Justice Studies, put his sense of purpose simply: “I want to give more than I have ever taken.”
- Jomo White, looked beyond the limits of his current circumstances, declaring, “Discipline can overcome doubt. I don’t plan to look for opportunities, I plan to create them. We can accomplish tremendous things beyond these gates.”
Making learning possible
Creating access to a college education in prison takes sustained effort from everyone involved. Faculty, staff, and correctional partners work together to make learning possible in an environment where course materials, technology access, and study time can all require careful coordination. Maine State Prison Warden Nathan Thayer noted that UMA staff consistently advocate for students to have what they need to succeed, a process that requires both institutions to keep finding practical ways around barriers most college students never have to consider.
Overcoming those barriers make each completed course, and each completed degree, especially meaningful. Keynote speaker John Valverde, president and CEO of YouthBuild Global, spoke from experience about what education can make possible. He served a 16-year sentence beginning at age 21 before earning his own college degrees, and he reminded the audience that completing college coursework in prison sets an example of healing, perseverance, and possibility for the students who follow.
To date, UMA has awarded more than 160 degrees through the Prison Education Partnership. Behind each degree is a student who chose to keep learning, even when the path was difficult, and who now carries that education forward into the communities they belong to. Welcoming this year’s graduates, UMA President Jenifer Cushman said, “Today, you become UMA alumni. You are part of this university and we are proud of you.”