Walking into this college classroom, one student was already seated, a full half-hour before class would start.
He was quiet and respectfully reached out to Deb, my escort for the day, thanking her for this program she had started almost a decade earlier. We seated ourselves in the back of the room where we would observe.
As students meandered in, one thing stuck out 鈥� their genuine desire to be there, at 8 a.m. on a Monday 鈥� that is not how I remembered college.
Steve Moro, now teaching at UMaine Rockland (UROCK), and a Camden Hills High School teacher for decades, came over to formally introduce himself and engage in conversation about mutual connections. Many students made their way over to 鈥淢r. Moro鈥� and 鈥淒eb,鈥� all with the same polite message: 鈥淭hank you for being here.鈥�
Deb, Steve and I didn鈥檛 have to 鈥渂e here鈥�; here was the Maine State Prison facility in Warren.
Sitting next to us was our prison liaison, stoic but openly supportive of what was happening; student inmates greeted him respectfully, including him in conversation.
The class: Public Speaking. The assignment: Persuasion…