Formerly incarcerated people are striving for degrees with a little help from a program at Santa Barbara City College.
"Halfway through my incarceration, I lost custody of my son and that was the breaking point for me," says Michael Osio.
At that moment, Osio says he knew he needed to change, and with the help of the Rising Scholars program at Santa Barbara City College, he has.
"So this is where my academic journey began. It feels like coming back home here at SBCC, like I found community, and once I found that community, for me, it's like okay. you know, I can do this," he says.
After Santa Barbara City College, Osio transferred to UC Santa Barbara and is now pursuing a degree in Sociology.
Data from Rand.org shows inmates who pursue educational programs are 43 percent less likely to recidivate.
To help people get on a path to educational success, Rising Scholars offers classes to inmates while incarcerated and after release.
"A lot of the women and men that I teach in the county jail, to see them come through here at Santa Barbara City College and reach their educational goals and ultimately get employed, is great to see," says Rising Scholars Program Coordinator Noel Gomez.
The 78 Rising Scholars programs throughout California can help students with expungement, school supplies, counseling, and housing.
For Osio, the mentorship aspect is one of the biggest keys to success.
"Through our lived experiences, we can help someone else who's going through the same thing. Whether it's addiction, whether it's incarceration, whether it's through homelessness, I think that all of us bring something unique that can help someone who's, you know, new starting in school," Osio explains.
Osio plans to get his master's degree from UCSB through the Underground Scholars program and start his career as a licensed family therapist.
