Incarcerated community college students from Cuesta College celebrated their graduation at the California Men’s Colony state prison on Thursday.
Their graduation wasn't the only milestone hit.
The prison allowed family members to attend the graduation ceremony for the first time.
Some incarcerated students told KSBY News this milestone is worth celebrating.
“It feels good to be with my peers because this is a moment of celebration for us all,” said Roderick Lynn Coleman, a Rising Scholars student. “Being incarcerated, you get a bad rap and I just feel it at the moment. We don't often get to celebrate with each other. We don't get to celebrate the small things in life being incarcerated."
Some graduates were not present at the ceremony due to being paroled or transferred.
However, 24 Rising Scholars students from Cuesta College earned an Associate of Arts Degree, three students earned a High School Diploma, 19 students earned a GED, and two others earned a Certificate of Attendance & Participation.
“It's an amazing experience,” said Prateek Bhargava, a Rising Scholars student. “All the hard work and dedication and the challenges that it takes. It's an amazing opportunity that this institution has provided for us. And I'm just grateful to avail that.”
Coleman says his father has been a mentor throughout his life.
“Being a minority, it's rare that you have your father figure in the household, so for me, I take pride in that because, oftentimes, I feel like I let him down,” said Coleman. “For this moment, for me to be incarcerated and have him still be alive during these 16 years of my incarceration — it's probably one of the proudest moments I've ever experienced.”
Roderick Lynn Coleman's father was in attendance and is glad he pursued higher education.
“We've been working on this since he could walk,” said Rodney Coleman Sr. “It took a long time for him to see what I was trying to get him to see. Well, once he saw the difference and got into it, his education and seeing what it meant and what it could do for his future, it changed his life, and I'm glad he pursued it.”
Luis Venegas was formerly incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony West Facility five years ago and was asked to be a keynote speaker at the ceremony.
He is also a former Rising Scholars student.
“I truly enjoyed my experience with education and college there,” said Venegas. “I've been able to use a lot of those skills as I've gotten out and have kind of kept in somewhat contact since I've been out. And I was invited to speak some words of encouragement for the graduating class.”
Coleman and Bhargava want to encourage their younger peers to pursue higher education.
“I try to encourage people, especially my younger peers, coming into the system 21, 22, 23 that — you can't come into prison and go home thinking that you're going to be different, you're going to continue to repeat the same cycle,” said Coleman. “Education is a process that helps you critically think the more information you have, the more successful you can be. I would tell my peers, man, just to stop sitting in a cell and get to it. Time is of the essence.”
“My passion here is to give back and to give back to my community,” said Bhargava. "This is my community. And here I want to seek out the youth. I want to seek out the folks that were in despair, that are in despair and that have lost hope and tell them and share them my story, that if I can do it, they can as well.”
For more information on the Rising Scholars program with Cuesta College, click here.
