Indiana Women’s Prison college grads share commencement speeches

(MIRROR INDY) — More than a dozen women at the Indiana Women’s Prison are celebrating graduations this spring.

In a commencement ceremony last month, speakers Brittney Watson and Apryl Hammer shared how the Women’s College Partnership — a collaboration between Marian University and the University of Notre Dame — helped them envision future career opportunities.

The program provides liberal arts education to incarcerated students and offers alumni and reentry support to its participants. This year’s graduating class includes students from two cohorts: three earning their bachelor’s degree and 11 earning an associate degree.

The achievement, as Hammer put it, empowers women to make a plan for their careers when some “didn’t ever see a future to plan.”

Mirror Indy is publishing the transcripts of the commencement addresses given on May 23 by Watson and Hammer, each representing a Women’s College Partnership cohort. The speeches have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Brittney Watson, bachelor’s degree graduate

I’m the representative for the ladies who are getting their bachelor’s degree today from cohort one. I just want to say that I’ve been inspired by a lot of the women that I’ve been blessed to be on this journey with. I’ve encountered some of the most brilliant and capable minds that I’ve ever met in my life.

There is a lot of talent in this room. They’ve inspired an attitude of determination and perseverance within me. See, I’ve learned that sometimes when things are hard that you’ve got to get an attitude about it; an attitude that says, ‘I’m going to rise above obstacles. I’m deciding to grow and to expand. I’m deciding to create opportunities for myself.’

See, every graduate that’s here today, you’re here because you decided to be. You decided to put in the work. You decided to sign up for the challenge. You decided that you wanted something better, not just for yourselves, but for your family as well. It always comes down to ‘What do we decide?’

This program, it’s an oasis. It’s an oasis in a desert. It’s every bit of a second chance. ‘A second chance at what?’ you may say. It’s a second chance at whatever you want it to be. Our limitations are only within our mind. We decide what’s possible. We decide what’s impossible. You’re here because you decided to be. There’s power in that.

There’s power in the mind. Our minds will take us into every place that we’ll ever go in our lives. That’s why our education is so important. Life is a series of mistakes, but this time you made the right decision. You’re brilliant, intelligent, accomplished and now you’re equipped to succeed. Congratulations.

Apryl Hammer, associate of arts degree graduate

Hello everybody. I am Apryl and I’m here to represent cohort two who’s getting their associate of arts degree today.

And, as Gandhi so powerfully stated, ‘Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.’ And, as I stand here representing cohort two, I can attest to the indomitable will of this graduating class. Our barriers may not parallel those others face, but they have been, nonetheless, arduous and command perseverance.

And, I stand here not only for myself, but for each remarkable individual in which I had the honor of experiencing this journey with for the last two and a half years; each one of us walking a path of our own, yet collectively. And, each one of us impacted by this program and the extraordinary dedication of each dedicated professor and WCP staff that only aids in our ambitions.

But what are those ambitions? Well, it varies from person to person. But as a voice for my colleagues, I can tell you that two of them had a discussion when they first started. ‘Why? Why did we get picked?’ they asked each other. The echoes of their past creeping to the present — ‘I’m unworthy, I’m incapable.’ And, this just seeped into their daily thoughts.

But now, one of them joyfully expresses that you all helped turn on a faucet which will never be shut off. She knows she’s capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. And the other? Oh, you’ve changed the entire trajectory of her life. She now sees herself reaching places that she never envisioned before. And both know why you picked them. You saw strength. You saw potential. And now they see it, too.

This only reverberates through each and every one of us. Many of us admit college was not a part of our plans. But then again, some of us didn’t ever see a future to plan. But now we not only see a road ahead, but a career. Our dedication in receiving this college degree gave us dreams and empowerment for opportunity. It gave us a future.

Another voice in which I’m here to represent expressed her struggle to even apply. She felt she wasn’t smart enough and the fact that she was much older than others gave her a lot of self-doubt. But, applying to WCP was the best decision she made. And it was not only an empowering experience, but she too has a sense of pride and knows exactly that she’s capable of doing anything she sets her mind to.

And this shows that knowledge has no boundaries. My cohort has screamed pride from ourselves, our families, our fellow classmates. And, we have reminded each other of when assignments are due. We have equally distributed our strength in order to help each other, and we formed study groups because we all know, Dr. DeLong, that the probability of us using statistics later is not statistically significant.

There is no shortage of appreciation. This program, this college experience, has commanded the best in us and we showed up every day with our own struggles in tow and gave strength.

Our lives before, unfortunately, were not cohesive to allow what we have accomplished now. The ability of human beings to change in the face of adversity allowed each one of us the openness in which this program provides. And here we are, cohort two, with an associate of arts degree. I’m sure I can speak for each one of us to say that in 20 years we’ll remember who we graduated with, but also each person that helped lift us through this journey.

What started out as dread and doubt has evolved into knowing and courage. And so, from cohort two, we want to say thank you Marian University, WCP, Notre Dame, and BPI. You matched our indomitable will. Thank you.