It was standing room only as prisoners, volunteers, staff and family members filled the Protestant Chapel to honor more than 60 San Quentin residents for achieving a variety of vocational and educational goals.
Children playing, crying and cooing colored the backdrop as family members cheered their spouses, fathers, uncles, and brothers for doing something beneficial to public safety—achieve an educational milestone while incarcerated.
“I just want to say what a joy it is to hear little kids’ voices,” said Prison University Program Director Dr. Jody Lewen.
“You guys have proven that success is possible,” said keynote speaker Elvin Padilla. “You all have an obligation and responsibility to your peers that success is possible.”
Padilla, originally from Brooklyn, New York, is involved in community development in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. He said he wants to build community arts in the Tenderloin, so that everyone has access to the arts.
“The arts gets to what’s in the heart,” Padilla said. “Art centers can send a message that we only need help. Needing help doesn’t mean we’re helpless. We want to get past this constant message that we’re helpless and hopeless. Just because we’re broken, doesn’t mean that you don’t belong.”
Alan Wesson, a teacher at the private school Lick-Wilnerding in San Francisco, came inside San Quentin for the first time. “The graduation was awesome,” he said, adding “I think it’s a little surreal, thinking about not being about to leave this place.”
The 2013 graduation consisted of 29 GED graduates, five machine shop graduates, 18 sheet metal graduates, a graduate from Coastline Community College, Palo Verde College, Blackstone Career Institute, and seven graduates from Patten University.
“My diploma gave me a new-found understanding for academic achievement,” said PUP valedictorian Michael Nelson.
Nelson said he’s going to use his education to better the lives around him. “Choose to be free, in whatever this word means to you,” Nelson said.
“I want to thank all the graduates, because you’re the reason we’re here,” said PUP facilitator Kara Orion. “We never ever say enough to the 100-150 volunteers who help run this program.”
PUP volunteer Dominique Brassey said she’s leaving the country to travel, learn, and teach.
“I wish I could take all the San Quentin guys with me,” she said. “I’ll be thinking about them wherever I am in the world.” Brassey gave credit to the administration, in particular to acting community partnership manager Steve Emrick. “He’s a good gentleman, and a hard worker. We all appreciate him.”
“I saw Gary Scott (recently released on parole) on the streets yesterday while riding my bike,” Brassey said. “I’m so proud of him for graduating.”
Scott was incarcerated since he was 15 years old and served nearly 16 years for second-degree murder. He was involved in several groups at San Quentin, including Kid Cat, SQUIRES, and he was sports editor for San Quentin News.
Among the guests was Debra Sheldon who transferred in 2009 from San Quentin to a Southern California prison, and has subsequently retired from CDCR. Some of the groups Sheldon was involved with were the Veterans Group, Day of Peace committee, and the literacy group, Project Reach.
“Education has a way to transport a person out of their existence,” said San Quentin’s first two-time valedictorian, Christopher Shuhmacher, as he referred to how education influenced his life in prison.
“Not having a high school diploma is something I’ve always regretted,” said GED Valedictorian Steve Piazza. “Now that I have a GED, a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” The audience applauded this statement as Piazza told his fellow graduates: “Don’t let what you’ve learned go to rest. Most of us have done things we regret; we can’t change that. But, the one thing we can change is our future.”
“Being in education is like being in an out-of-body moment,” literacy coordinator Gary Shimel told the audience. “When I’m asked how to spell hero, I say, ‘It’s you.’ Every day I come here, I leave a better person because of you.”
Music was provided by James Metters and Marlon Beason, singing My Congratulations, the group called Banks and Maverick, singing I Hope You’re Proud of Me, and Sebastian Sprague on piano playing musical interludes.
The ceremony opened with the presentation of the American flag and closed by retiring the colors by the Vietnam Veterans Group of San Quentin.
