Over the last year or so, I have shared the stories of some of our students in the first cohort of the Corban extension in the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI). Some of these stories have come to light, through an essay question that was required by Corban in the application to enroll in the college.
Here is the question.
“Explain your reason(s) for applying to the Bachelor of Science program.”
I want to share one of our student’s answer to this question:
“Even though I am serving a life sentence I refuse to let my life go to waste. This program will help me have a sense of purpose and meaning in my life. There is so much I can offer and, with the help of God, I can accomplish great goals even while incarcerated. Furthermore, I am ready to become prepared according to God’s teachings so that I can help others accomplish their goals. I strongly believe that we, as inmates, should not see our prison sentence as ‘doing time,’ but rather see it as an opportunity to change, reprioritize our values and strive to become better people.
I want to study in the program because I want to gain an academic understanding of the Bible so that I can confidently talk to other people about it. I am tired of feeling insecure about my comprehension of the Bible. I will be one of the hardest working students in the program. I have always been fascinated by the richness of content in the Bible, yet the simple message it gives.”
The above response is from Gustavo, who is in our first cohort for the Coban extension in OSCI. It is exciting to see how God is preparing the way for change in the Oregon prison system.
 UPDATE ON COMPUTER CAMPAIGN:
Our goal is to raise $19,600 for the purchase of computers and software for our second cohort of students. We are only $1250 short of that goal. Let’s finish that off this week! God provides! |