Student and Staff Reflections
The commitment to Jesuit prison education continues transformational experience for the students that participate. The students of the Jesuit prison education program of Rockhurst University share each of their perspectives and experiences through higher education.
Lisa Suter, Companions in Chillicothe Student
I've been incarcerated for over 30 years and trust me when I say that most doors are closed to me in here. Vocational classes; door closed, you must be within 5 years of leaving and I don't qualify. Higher education classes; door closed, most pell grants require you to be close to release, and again, I don't qualify. Freedom; door closed. Then out of nowhere comes the Rockhurst Companions Program which opened a door so wide and long, that 5 years later, I'm still traveling through it. I've learned so much in the past several years, academically, but also spiritually and emotionally.
Over the course of my journey in education with Rockhurst I have been taught more than the fundamentals of English, History, Science, Philosophy, and Law, just to name a few. The professors at Rockhurst care so much and teach so enthusiastically that it is more than just a class. In Parasitology I felt like I traveled to Ethiopia and South Sudan to study the parasite Dracunculis. In history, I didn't just learn about the Republic of Rome or the Roman Empire, but traveled back in time and was able to 'see' that much of our modern day legal system evolved from Roman law. When Rockhurst is here and I'm in class, I don't feel like a prisoner with a number, I feel like I'm a regular student in a classroom. Indeed I am a registered student at the University with a student I.D. number and all.
There is little to do in prison and most days are a repeat of the one you just survived. Rockhurst has changed all of that. Although I'm still locked up, my mind is free. Free to learn new things, travel to exciting places. The educational program of Rockhurst has opened that door for me. I've learned to stand strong and my faith has been renewed because they've shown me that all doors aren't closed, even if it looks that way, don't give up. I almost had - given up - on everything. I was exhausted of living the same day over and over with nothing new to look forward to. Then I heard something about a new program starting here offering college classes for free, available to anyone! Yeah, "you believe it", I thought. On just the prayer of a chance that this was real, I filled out the application and turned it in. Imagine my surprise when I got a face to face interview with Dr. Watz from Rockhurst University. My first thought was, " Man, I wish I would have spent more time on that application and essay questions." Thankfully, I was accepted and now I plan my life around Wednesdays, when our professors are here to teach class. No matter how bad things get in here sometimes, I have Wednesdays to look forward to. I can free my mind through the week by studying or doing reading assignments that take me out of prison and take me to places like Africa, or ancient Rome. In a place where the monotony of every day can drain all the energy and emotion out of a person, Rockhurst gives me hope. The hope of a new day filled with new things to learn, new places to see. Hope of a new day that will be different from every other day.
Rockhurst has taught me so much more than just academics. I learned that people still care, they care about people like me, people that most of society would just as soon forget about. I don't feel like I'm an "offender" when I'm in class. I feel like a person whose thoughts and opinions matter. I feel whole. Rockhurst has given me a purpose, a reason to keep getting up every morning. I'm finally doing something with my time, and with my life. Since becoming a Rockhurst student I've noticed changes in myself and my family. I'm happier, hopeful, and have a purpose - to maintain my 4.0 GPA! For the first time in 25 years my father told me he was proud of me. Nothing else I've done in prison warranted that response from him, but being a student of Rockhurst University did. My father has since passed away, but I still try and keep my grades up for him, as well as for myself. At age 55 and in prison I finally made my father proud.
Rockhurst has taught me that it is never too late to make a difference and no matter what your circumstances, you can choose to rise above them.
Still, sometimes when I sit quietly alone, I have moments where I wonder what I'm doing. I wonder if I'll ever leave prison, I wonder why I still try, and I wonder why I care so much about my education and studying so hard. Then Wednesday rolls around and several professors from Rockhurst are here telling us stories of how much we have impacted them and their lives. What?! I know all they've done for us and it's been life changing, but how is it we have had an impact on them? Hearing their stories quelled my fears of wondering what I'm doing and why. I continue to try because they try. I continue to care about my education because they care. If Rockhurst can invest in me then I will continue to do my best to invest back in them.
Rockhurst has given me more than an education, they've given me hope. Hope in our shared humanity, as Father Curran likes to say. They opened a door and I am blessed to be walking through it. I'm not sure where it will lead for me, or when it will end, but I am forever grateful for the journey.
Stephanie Eckert, Staff, Companions in Chillicothe
What does this program mean to me? My name is Stephanie Eckert and I currently work at Chillicothe Correctional Center in Chillicothe, MO. I have participated in this College program since its inception at Chillicothe. This program means the world to me! My bucket list has included getting a college education, needless to say this has been on my list for several years. When I graduated high school in 1987, college was never even discussed, my parents didn’t encourage me to go to college, neither did my school counselor, it was just never even talked about, even though I graduated in the top of my class. Therefore, after college I got a job and got married, after being married for 3 years we began our family. I knew from the beginning of being a mother that I wanted my children to have every opportunity in the world, including getting a college education so that they had opportunities that I never had. So, we discussed these options with our children from the beginning. My children weren’t made to go to college, but were encouraged and we helped them with their college expenses. Both of my children went on to college and both have college degrees.
With that being said, my hopes of obtaining a college degree were put on the back burner, because my children’s education was my top priority. When this opportunity came to Chillicothe I jumped on board and submitted my application and it has changed my life ever since. I have taken and even passed every class offered to us. This walk in my education path hasn’t always been easy to say the least. While I’ve been enrolled in these classes I was on a rotating schedule, where my work schedule changed every 6 months, I either worked days, evenings or nights. When I worked nights, I got off work at 7:00 am, drove 30 minutes home and tried to get some sleep, got up, showered and drove 30 minutes back to class, and then drove back home to finish my sleep and then would return to work at 11:00 pm. We are required to make up our school time during our work day, so that means flexing our work schedules to meet that requirement.
The Rockhurst opportunity has been a challenge academically as well, since it’s been over 30 years since I went to high school, going to college has been challenging in itself. Our class is a small but mighty group of individuals that have worked very hard to obtain this degree and have been there for each other as we’ve worked to meet our educational goals.
Like I’ve said, this program means the world to me, to be able to meet my goal and check this off my bucket list is both wonderful in itself, but to have this opportunity without the overwhelming expenses is even greater. I know firsthand, the expenses of college education, with my children’s expenses, and would probably never have the opportunity to check this off my bucket list, without this opportunity.
I want to thank Rockhurst University and all the donors that have made this program available. I am proud to have been chosen to participate and be a part of the program.
I soon will be a graduate of Rockhurst University and couldn’t be prouder and more thankful for this opportunity.