February 2022 Newsletter
News: Grant renewed, website updates, follow us on social media
We are delighted to announce that the Pritchard Family Foundation has renewed its support of the HBCU Forward Initiative for a second year. In Year 2 we will focus on expanding the program, which was developed at Howard University, to other HBCUs in the Washington, D.C., area and adapting it to elevate and support Black student volunteers at predominantly White institutions. Visit the new HBCU Forward Initiative page on our website to learn more.
The past couple of years have been a time of growth and evolution for the Petey Greene Program, and our website is constantly evolving too. Recent additions include a new home for the College Bridge Program and an updated presence for the Justice Education Series, as well as a new HBCU Forward Initiative page. Check back often to see what we’re up to.
Another great way to stay in touch: follow us on social media. We’re on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, where we post program news, engage in current conversations, and highlight our unique perspective on justice-oriented citizenship.
We were already working on a feature about Pittsburgh-based student Angela Livingston when she shared this letter about her PGP tutor, Max Raven. Max and Angela began their tutoring relationship while Max was a student in the U.S. He returned to his native England after graduating and they continue to work together via Zoom. Instead of us writing about Angela, we wanted to feature Angela in her own words. We’re incredibly proud of Angela’s hard work and progress in the two years she has worked with tutors Max and Jordan, and we’re honored to support her educational journey.
Hello, my name is Angela Livingston. I am a survivor of cancer, domestic abuse and child abuse. I’ve survived the prison system, being locked in institutions, drugs, alcohol, and loss. I tell you this not for you to feel sorry for me, but so you understand who I am and why I am passionate about achieving my goals.
My wake-up call came on May 20, 2020, when I started hemorrhaging after my lung cancer surgery. I survived. The doctor said he couldn’t explain it.
That is when I realized that it is time to make a legacy for myself; it is time to accomplish my dreams and goals. I want to help women like me, women who have survived life. I put together a series of goals, most importantly: To become a therapist and start an organization to teach women and families experiencing domestic violence how to train rescue dogs that they can adopt to help them feel safe. What drove me is that I have the same experiences these women have endured, because I was once there.
But I needed an education to even get started. I had taken quite a few college classes before, but never graduated.
This was when I decided to go back to school for my business degree. After months of searching, I found that Southern New Hampshire University accepted most of my credits, so I enrolled to pursue my associate’s degree. But before I started classes, I needed a plan and I needed support to get me through. This is when I connected with the Petey Greene Program, with help from Literacy Pittsburgh.
My first tutor, Jordan, was awesome. She helped me in accounting. I had a D and I left that class with a B because of Jordan—we worked together for a few months.
Max is my second tutor through the Petey Greene Program, and I just love him for his commitment to me and my studies. When I met Max, I was failing statistics and macroeconomics. Day one, Max was emailing my professors to see how we could save one course or another, and we did it, just as he said we would.
Max never gave up on me, even when I did. Max makes learning fun. He lives in England now, and sometimes we just chat about England, the foods, traditions, and American dishes as well. One lesson I had to ask Max “How many cups of tea do you drink a day?” because his mum always had his tea ready, and I thought that was the sweetest thing.
Max has a supportive method to his tutoring sessions. In the beginning, my papers were horrible, but Max never got tired of helping to improve my writing. A few weeks ago, Max pulled up a paper I wrote when we first started working together. He then showed me a recent paper and put them side by side—I cried because the difference in my writing from then to now is amazing.
I thank God for Max every day. He is my godsend and because of the faith Max had in me, he has helped me towards making my dreams come true.
Max’s confidence in me gave me hope, drive and the realization that I could do this.
I will be continuing my education with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which will help me make my dream come true: Starting an organization to rescue dogs and train them for families experiencing domestic violence.
Without Max and the Petey Greene Program I would not be taking these steps towards success.
At the end of this vicious cycle of life, I found peace, serenity, and Max, and I love all of them. Thank you, Max, for your positive influence and most of all: Never giving up on me. Thank you for believing in ME!!!!!!
In the end, the lesson I have learned is that no matter how many times you fall, with strength and courage you can get up, make changes, and avoid repeating those same mistakes.
I am like the flower ‘Lily of the Valley’; Despite darkness, a flower that still blooms. This is who I am, and Max and the Petey Greene Program have given me the tools I need to blossom.
The Petey Greene Program has been selected for the second time to participate in the Leading Edge Fellowship, sponsored by the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). The Fellowships place recent humanities and social science PhDs with nonprofit organizations committed to promoting social justice in their communities. The Leading Edge Fellow will join Petey Greene as the College Bridge Program Coordinator, to support the implementation, evaluation, and expansion of the College Bridge Program at the Washington, D.C., Jail. Learn more and apply. Please help us get the word out by sharing this exciting opportunity with your networks.
Since the 1980s, incarceration rates for women and girls have increased sevenfold. However, access to vocational and educational programs hasn’t kept pace. On Thursday, April 7, 2022 @ 6 p.m. we invite you to a conversation among formerly incarcerated women and education administrators to understand why and learn how we can advocate for greater educational access for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women. Our panel of distinguished experts includes Romarilyn Ralston, Program Director of Project Rebound; Alexa Garza, Justice Fellow for the Education Trust; Rabia Qutab, Justice Fellow for the Education Trust, and moderator Kimberly Haven, Advisory Board member for the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison.
Watch Reentry and Education: A Policy Perspective
The recording of our February Justice Education Series webinar is now available. Learn from Stephanie Bazell of the College and Community Fellowship, Syrita Steib of Operation Restoration, Barbi Brown from the Tennessee Higher Education Prison Initiative, and Pastor and former PGP student Erich Kussman about the policy initiatives needed to expand educational access and ensure educational success for learners continuing or pursuing education post incarceration.
In the Justice Education Series we prioritize hearing from system-impacted experts and compensating them for their time and expertise. Your support is essential to our work. Please consider making a gift to the Petey Greene Program today.