Being in prison can leave you feeling hopeless, demoralised and, at times, lacking in self-belief. I know this from first-hand experience as I have been on an emotional rollercoaster, searching for something positive to give me hope, focus and a true sense of purpose. Education has helped me in so many aspects of my life and I have been on a learning journey since the day I decided to re-engage with education. The word ‘journey’ is key because it allowed me to create a real change in my life. That change did not happen overnight, it came about by me setting goals and putting 100% effort into studying. I set myself goals which subsequently led me to completing a number of educational qualifications.
Completing this work gave me a sense of pride, purpose and self-confidence. I completed Arts and Languages with a Distinction, which is something I am really proud of. This gave me the motivation to pursue a degree in Business Management (Economics). I am now in my third year of studying and the assistance and funding I initially received was instrumental in reigniting the flame I had inside of me to study and achieve. At first I was apprehensive about studying at university level, especially from the confines of a prison cell, however it soon became apparent that having something positive to focus on was the best escape mentally and physically given my circumstances.
Studying has not only given me a sense of purpose but has also given me important skills which are transferable, such as perseverance and problem-solving which I can use in everyday life as well as on my education journey. I was given the opportunity to learn and achieve and I grabbed it with both hands. Education is about much more than reading and writing. It is about growing as a person and using the knowledge we have attained in order to better our own lives and the lives of our peers. It is more important than just an ending; it is about the journey… our failures as well as our successes.
It is my long-term goal to become self-employed post-release and now I feel that I have the tools and skills to achieve this goal, regardless of my past. Education has given me a second chance and I hope it will do the same for my peers. The journey I have been on has made me believe … I believe I have a purpose … I believe I have been given a second chance … I believe education is the key and although I am incarcerated, education has unlocked my mind.
Being in prison can leave you feeling hopeless, demoralised and, at times, lacking in self-belief. I know this from first-hand experience as I have been on an emotional rollercoaster, searching for something positive to give me hope, focus and a true sense of purpose. Education has helped me in so many aspects of my life and I have been on a learning journey since the day I decided to re-engage with education. The word ‘journey’ is key because it allowed me to create a real change in my life. That change did not happen overnight, it came about by me setting goals and putting 100% effort into studying. I set myself goals which subsequently led me to completing a number of educational qualifications.
Completing this work gave me a sense of pride, purpose and self-confidence. I completed Arts and Languages with a Distinction, which is something I am really proud of. This gave me the motivation to pursue a degree in Business Management (Economics). I am now in my third year of studying and the assistance and funding I initially received was instrumental in reigniting the flame I had inside of me to study and achieve. At first I was apprehensive about studying at university level, especially from the confines of a prison cell, however it soon became apparent that having something positive to focus on was the best escape mentally and physically given my circumstances.
Studying has not only given me a sense of purpose but has also given me important skills which are transferable, such as perseverance and problem-solving which I can use in everyday life as well as on my education journey. I was given the opportunity to learn and achieve and I grabbed it with both hands. Education is about much more than reading and writing. It is about growing as a person and using the knowledge we have attained in order to better our own lives and the lives of our peers. It is more important than just an ending; it is about the journey… our failures as well as our successes.
It is my long-term goal to become self-employed post-release and now I feel that I have the tools and skills to achieve this goal, regardless of my past. Education has given me a second chance and I hope it will do the same for my peers. The journey I have been on has made me believe … I believe I have a purpose … I believe I have been given a second chance … I believe education is the key and although I am incarcerated, education has unlocked my mind.
From Inside Time.
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It is not a pleasurable experience. It is very difficult to face all those emotions and reflect over the course of your whole life.
I was always drawing as a kid, and when the opportunity came up to do an art course at age 17 I went for it.
I remember our living room used to be filled with hundreds of CDs. My mum is where my love of music came from.
You can have as many support workers and parole officers as you can get, but it will never make you stop doing crimes. It has to come from within yourself.
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