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>> THE MAN YOU'RE ABOUT TO

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MEET HAVE BEEN CALLED MANY

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NAMES, MOSTLY INMATE, BUT

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THEY'VE ALSO BEEN CALLED

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STUDENT SCHOLAR, AUTHER AND

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NOW COLLEGE GRADUATE HISTORY

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MAKER LAST WEEK, THE

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NORTHWESTERN PRISON EDUCATION

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PROGRAM GRADUATED ITS FIRST

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COHORT WITH MORE ON THE WAY.

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>> FIRST GRADUATES IN CUSTODY

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IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES OF

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AMERICA TO EARN A BACHELOR'S

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DEGREE FROM UNIVERSITY. IT'S

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NOT GRADUATION SEASON.

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>> BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY

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REASON TODAY WAS A LONG TIME

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COMING FOR THIS CLASS OF 2023

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AGO. THIS MOMENT RIGHT I

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DEFINITELY WANT

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>> FOR LAST WEEK STORY, WE

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FIRST MET BERNARD MCKINLEY AND

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HIS 15 CLASSMATES A YEAR AGO.

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MIDWAY THROUGH THEIR LAST YEAR

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AT PROFESSORS AND TEACHING

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ASSISTANTS MAKING THE REGULAR

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TRIP TO STATE BILL

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CORRECTIONAL CENTER NEAR

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JOLIET FOR CLASSES.

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>> IN BETWEEN CLASSES,

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STUDENTS DO THE WORK BEHIND

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PRISON WALLS. THIS COHORT

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SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC.

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>> THEY DID. YOU 6 BY

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CORRESPONDENCE. WE HAD STAFF

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DRIVING BOXES TO AND FROM

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REALLY COMMUNITY, GRASSROOTS

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EFFORT

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>> DURING THEIR CEREMONY, A

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CLEAR CELEBRATION IN A PLACE

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WHERE THERE'S OFTEN LITTLE TO

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CELEBRATE. EACH GRADUATE. GET

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A 2 MINUTE SPEECH. THIS

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MOMENT. IS THE CULMINATION OF

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LITERALLY 30 YEARS. OF PEOPLE

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POURING INTO ME DEMONSTRATING

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WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED WHEN YOU

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COME TO PRISON, YOU'RE GOING

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TO GET AN EDUCATION NO MATTER

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WHAT. I GUARANTEE IT.

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>> BUT IT'S UP TO THE

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LAWMAKERS WHAT EDUCATION YOU

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GET AND HOW THEY INTEND TO USE

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IT AT DAWN COMMITTEE. AND YOUR

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LIFE. YOU THINK YOU DESERVE

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HOPE. PURPOSE?

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>> ONE OF THE GRADUATES 44

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YEAR-OLD ANDRE PATTERSON, WHO

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USED HIS LESSONS IN

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PERFORMANCE TO MAKE HIS POINT.

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I REALLY WANTED TO. CONVEY TO

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TALENT THE CHALLENGES THAT I

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HAD TO PERSONALLY BUT ALONG

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THE WAY, WHILE I WAS FACING

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PERSONAL CHALLENGES.

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>> I KIND OF HAD A REALIZATION

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THAT. I WASN'T GOING THROUGH

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THIS JUST FOR ME. I'M GOING

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THROUGH THIS FOR. ALL OF US.

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MY COMMUNITY HERE, BUT ALSO

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THE COMMUNITY, OUTSIDE.

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>> PATTERSON GREW UP IN

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EVANSTON IN THE SHADOW OF

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NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY. NEVER

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THINKING HE WOULD SOMEDAY HOLD

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A DEGREE FROM THE ELITE

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INSTITUTION, THOUGH HE DOES

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TODAY. IT'S NOT THE DIPLOMA.

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HE'S MOST PROUD THESE THINGS

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THAT'S THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO

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ME.

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>> THIS ACHIEVEMENT IS THIS IS

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A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT. BUT

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IT'S THE JONI TO GET HERE. AND

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IT'S THE POTENTIAL POSSIBILITY

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OF WHAT.

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>> I CONTRIBUTE. ANOTHER SHOW

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OF HOW EXCEPTIONAL SCENES LIKE

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THIS ARE RENOWNED JOURNALIST

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TOM COATS SERVED AS

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COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER. I READ

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SOMEONE WHO WAS, YOU KNOW,

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COPING WITH STAGE 4 PROSTATE

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CANCER AS THEY WENT THROUGH

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THE PROGRAM.

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>> RATHER YOU THE SAME ONE

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THAT THIS IS YOUR BOOK TO

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WRITE.

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>> TELLING THEM AND HOW MUCH

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YOU CAN RELATE TO WHERE THEY

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COME FROM. AND I KNEW I HAD TO

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COME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW YOU.

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BUT I KNOW YOU. I DON'T KNOW

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YOU. BUT I LOVE IT. THROUGHOUT

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THE CEREMONY. THERE WERE

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MULTIPLE CHEERS FOR ONE PERSON

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IN PARTICULAR. LOVE YOU.

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JENNIFER

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>> JENNIFER LACKEY. THE

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PROGRAM'S DIRECTOR AND THE

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COHORTS MATRIARCH PROFESSOR

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JENNIFER LACKEY WHO SAYS SHE

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DOES THIS WORK IN PART TO MAKE

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AN EXAMPLE PLACES LIKE

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NORTHWESTERN WITH TRIP, YOU

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KNOW, KIND OF

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>> MENTS RESOURCES AND

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EXCELLENCE REALLY SHOULD BE

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THE ONES TO STEP UP TO DO THIS

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WORK. I THINK THAT WHAT WE

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WANT TO DO IS SET A MODEL FOR

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WHAT PRISON EDUCATION CAN LOOK

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LIKE. WE WANT TO SHOW WHAT'S

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POSSIBLE AND THAT YOU CAN

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TRULY OFFER THE SAME QUALITY

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OF EDUCATION THAT YOU PROVIDE

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ON YOUR CAMPUS IS EVEN US

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FACILITY THAT HAS NOT SOME

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SECURITY STUDENTS BUT ALSO TO

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INSPIRE HOPE. THIS IS A

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COMMUNITY TOO. AND I THINK A

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LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY

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DIRECTED AT LIKE WHAT ARE WHAT

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YOU DO WITH THIS ON OUTSIDE?

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THIS IS A SPACE TO WHERE THERE

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ARE LIVES LIT AND BEING ABLE

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TO BRING MENTORS AND TUTORS

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SENT, YOU KNOW, TEA'S TO THIS

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SPACE IS LIFE CHANGING FOR

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MANY OF THE MEN HERE IN THIS

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COMMUNITY. AND FOR THERE

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CHILDREN AND MOTHERS. AND, YOU

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KNOW, LOVED ONES BACK HOME.

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WHILE SOME OF THESE MEN MAY

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ONLY TRY THEIR DEGREES FROM

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INSIDE PRISON, OTHERS WILL

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RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.

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BENARD MCKINLEY IS ONE OF THEM

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GOING HOME IN MARCH AFTER 19

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YEARS IN PRISON. THIS IS WHAT

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YOU OPPORTUNITY. LOOKS

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>> WIND IS NOT THE ROLE

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BLOCKS. KEEPING FROM BEING

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ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THE OTHER

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SOCIAL DYNAMICS THAT PUT IN

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PLACE OATH. AND IF YOU GIVE

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THE CHANCE TO LIKE I THE CREWS

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GO REST IT.

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>> BERNARD MCKINLEY WAS THE

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FIRST PERSON IN ILLINOIS TO

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TAKE THE L SAT WHILE

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INCARCERATED. HE'S PLANNING TO

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APPLY TO NORTHWESTERN LAW

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SCHOOL AND HOPES TO BECOME A

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CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY. THERE

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ARE 3 OR COHORTS OF MEN

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ENROLLED AT STATESVILLE, 2