We all pursue education is a path to a job or career that can put food on our tables and a roof over our heads. Others see education as a way to make a positive difference in the world which adds to our collective security. Post-carceral life is fraught with insecurity. Without any education, rates of recidivism hover around 70-85%. Education and a meaningful career can reduce those odds significantly. Beth Dodd is a graduate of Santa Fe College and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree online. She currently works for a local engineering firm, and while her ambitions for a steady paycheck with benefits may seem modest to some, but as you listen to her story, I think you’ll agree that there’s nothing modest about what she’s been able to accomplish with her education and the support of some key allies.

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/.

Welcome to Free to Learn, a podcast exploring the stories of formerly incarcerated college students. My name is Jason Frank. I'm an Instructional Designer at Santa Fe College, and I'm interested in better understanding how we can create a learning environment that better meets the needs of these students. The first step to good design is listening to the people you're working to support.

We're continuing our conversation with Beth Dodd. If you haven't listened to part one of this interview, I'd recommend going back and listening to that first. Beth's educational journey has been the result of having a clear goal, fierce resolve, and the fortune of key advocates at key moments. She has a lot that she can teach us about how to support some of our most vulnerable students.

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/.

When a person understands what education can do for them, when they understand the opportunities it opens, and its power to change lives, they will move heaven and earth to be able to pursue it. In this episode, we’ll be talking with John Wise who is currently studying data science at Indiana University. He was also briefly a student at Santa Fe College. John’s story, in many ways, is about his determination to do whatever it took to pursue his education both in and out of prison. While his journey is not without setbacks and frustrations, his resolve never wavered.

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Full transcripts can be found under each episode at https://freetolearn.buzzsprout.com/.