Current Fellows

Chloe is studying Social Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design, and Visual Arts. They are a Coordinator of Evergreen's Justice Involved Student Group who will be working with other formerly incarcerated students and student groups from across the State to build out the Washington Student Council on Reentry (WaScore).

Chloe is inspired to participate in this project because of their own experience navigating the pathway from incarceration to becoming a student.

“I know the struggle intimately and want to help others to start, and to see their journey to the end.”

Makenna has a strong passion for teaching and being with students. Currently, she is working with an alternative school for students with IEPs and accomadations.

“I want every student in a public school setting to have equal opportunities to achieve their academic goals and/or plans after high school.”

Makenna is studying Music Education with a dream of becoming an elementary music teacher and/or teach music abroad

Alliyah is studying Community, Culture & Language Major & Critical Race with an Ethnic Studies Minor at Gonzaga University. She is currently working with SpokaneFaVs, a journalism website that covers stories through a religious and ethnic lens, where she writes monthly columns and edits articles.

Imelda teaches Spanish to third graders in a bilingual school. She is passionate about teaching and believes that every student deserves an opportunity to pursue education, and that all of us are lifelong language learners. Her goal is to earn a Master’s degree in teaching.

Diana is studying Digital Technology and Culture, and is working to find, create, and develop new resources and opportunities in a website for current and incoming undocumented students at Washington State University. She is the first of five children in her family to leave home and attend college.

“As an undocumented student myself, I applied to an internship that I was very interested in but because I am not a US Citizen, I was denied the opportunity, which made me want to create a space that undocumented students could navigate without having troubles.”

Her overall goal is to implement websites like this in as many universities as possible.

Mae is studying Political Science, Sociology, Womens & Gender Studies, and Solidarity & Social Justice at Gonzaga. She is a fellow with the Logan Neighborhood Association who works alongside the chair to help assess and implement community needs.

“I was inspired to participate in this project because of the community service aspect, and social justice lens I can bring to the community. Gonzaga is located in the middle of the Logan Neighborhood, and thus the two impact each other significantly, and I wanted to be involved in the relationships.”

Kimberly is studying Psychology at Eastern Washington University and working to connect student volunteers with community engagement projects in the Cheney and Spokane areas.

“Instead of making opportunities and hoping people show up, we have been collecting emails from students who would like to go out and do something.”

Michelle is majoring in International Studies with a Regional Concentration in Latin America and a Thematic Concentration in International Political Economy, with minors in Economics and Spanish. She plans to get a graduate degree in Global Health.

Michelle currently supports communications at the ZoNE, a partnership of Northeast Spokane residents, schools, and community organizations that improves access to healthy food and affordable housing, as well as educational support through collective action. She handles the website, blog posts, newsletter, and marketing materials, as well as data management and healthy food partnerships.

Abbie is studying Human Services (Specializing in Substance Use Disorder).

She is planning to coordinate with her local Coastal Community Action Program to create a transitional program in Grays Harbor for inmates who have recently been released from prison. It would be the first type of this program in the area.

“I am passionate about this program because I feel it is important that we support these men and women through the difficult transition from prison back into society. I would imagine that it would be hard to stay positive and work a rehabilitation program when you have no food or housing.”

Ty is studying Human Services and Chemical Dependency Counseling.

He will be helping with Coastal Community Action in Aberdeen, WA to establish and expand their prison reentry program. This project will involve office work, creating relationships with other organizations, and providing housing, food, and other social services.

“I am very passionate about working with inmates. In my community we have a very high recidivism rate and I want to be a part of reducing that number.”

Gloria is studying Health Science and Community Health at Whitworth, with aspirations of working in public health.

She is currently focused on housing and food security projects where she wants to be a “bridge-builder” for people in need of food and housing.

Haley is studying social work at PLU and hopes to address food insecurity on campus through her work at the food pantry.

Anthony is studying Psychology and Spanish at Whitworth University and volunteers at a local non-profit that focuses on providing housing and food security for mothers and children.

“I love the work I do there, and so I want to do research to determine the best ways we as community advocates can help these programs flourish.”

PJ is a psychology major at Pacific Lutheran University. She is currently volunteering at a campus food pantry for staff and students that also serves the surrounding community.

Mele is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology. She is hoping to increase visibility and normalize the presense of women pacific islanders in her field.

“I have always dreamed of becoming someone in that field that can help many people with no matter what I am doing.”

Nola is studying English and Global Development Studies at University of Puget Sound. They have been working with The Freedom Education Project of Puget Sound (FEPPS) , a program that provides bachelor’s degree programs to women and trans-identified people in prison. They have been providing campus resources to FEPPS students including campus videos, research materials, and more.

In addition to her work with FEPPS, Nola also hosts a campus radio show called “Abolish Prisons.”

Shay is studying accounting at Renton Technical College.

She is working to provide resources for formerly incarcerated people transitioning into freedom. She sees something unique in every person and believes that helping others find motivation is a key component to reinventing the self.

She is also a co-founder of ALA Garifuna Women, an organization that supports women from the Garifuna community in the greater Seattle area by providing resources in education, emergency food, and a domestic workers committee.

“…we all have the right to correct and restructure our lives.”

Nate is studying political science, international relations, and Spanish at Gonzaga University with the hopes of working in international relations.

He is aiding in outreach and legal representation for vulnerable groups in Spokane.

“I am passionate about bettering the community that has given me so much.”