A student from Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas became the first person to receive an associate’s degree from Ohlone College’s Rising Scholars Program. Because of privacy concerns, Rising Scholars did not provide the name of the student, but did share he is a male inmate. He received an Associate’s of Arts Degree in Communication Studies with highest honors and a 4.0 GPA.
The Rising Scholars program at Ohlone College started while digital arts and interactive design (DAID) professor Isabel Reichert was on a sabbatical during the 2020 and 2021 academic year. According to the Ohlone Board of Trustees reports, she started a pilot program to give educational opportunities to juvenile detention and adult correctional facilities, which then turned into the Rising Scholars Program.
Rising Scholars was the solution to the problem of having limited educational opportunities in each jail. Before, colleges were only allowed to serve jails that are in their area. Ohlone College is one of six colleges in a program called the College Collaborative System. Other participating colleges are Foothill College, San Jose City College, Mission College, Evergreen Valley College and Gavilan College.
‘I love the values behind the rehabilitative nature and the restorative justice of the program’
– Ohlone College communication studies professor Brenda Ahntholz
A graduation ceremony was held at the correctional facility in Milpitas on Sept. 18. Ohlone College communication studies professor Brenda Ahntholz said the graduate invited people who supported him. This included his teachers, social worker and chaplain. Ahnholtz teaches communication classes to students inside the facility.
Twelve Ohlone college professors are participating in the program. The classes offered are in communication, English, English as a second language, theatre, art and DAID.
Ahnholtz said there is a lot of interest in her communication classes, especially one she made specifically for the facility called, “Conflict Management.” The classes are taught in-person because people inside the jail do not have access to the Internet.
“I loved it, I love teaching in person,” Ahnholtz said. “I love the values behind the rehabilitative nature and the restorative justice of the program.”
