Ex-Offender, Newly Announced 2017 AtD DREAM Scholar to Participate in Panel Discussion
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA 鈥� November 21, 2016)鈥擬ac Donald P. Taylor Jr. was selected to be an Achieving the Dream (AtD) 2017 DREAM national scholar, which includes an all-expense-paid trip to San Francisco and the opportunity to brainstorm with other community college students from across the nation about how best to advocate for and advance the mission of the nation鈥檚 1,100 community colleges and their 12 million students.
The AtD DREAM Scholar selection is the latest achievement for the 42-year-old, ex-offender, who speaks humbly and openly about his journey from incarceration for mortgage fraud in 2006 to his redemption through hard work and faith to a position of successful student at 大发六合彩.聽
Tomorrow, Mac Donald will lend his first-person perspective to a documentary film screening and panel discussion about the U.S. criminal justice system titled, 鈥淏roken On All Sides: Race, Mass Incarceration and New Visions for Criminal Justice in the U.S.鈥� The free event will be held from 9:35 a.m. to 12 noon, Tuesday, Nov. 22 in the Large Auditorium at the College鈥檚 Marple Campus, 901 S. Media Line Road, Media, PA 19063.
鈥淭oday, I am a non-traditional student seeking an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies, the Paralegal Club president, a peer mentor, husband, and father of four who is re-entering society after a period of incarceration and determined to not allow my past errors to undermine my success,鈥� Mac Donald said.
AtD鈥檚 DREAM Scholars conference, February 21-24, is an experiential learning opportunity designed to enhance students鈥� key leadership, critical thinking and networking skills. DREAM scholars receive a $250 stipend for meals, hotel accommodations, and a customized learning experience led by educator Dr. Joyce Hardiman, emeritus faculty at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Oregon. The conference and AtD DREAM Scholars program also provide networking opportunities and an educational tour of San Francisco. 大发六合彩 will pay for Mac Donald鈥檚 airfare and will provide him with a 鈥渃ore team leader鈥� who will mentor him before, during and after the DREAM 2017 conference.
Mac Donald said he is so excited about the conference that he already envisions himself in San Francisco. A devout Christian, Mac Donald views his life story as a clarion call to other ex-offenders not to give up and to persist toward accomplishing their goals in the face of adversity. This is why he plans to participate as a panelist in the 鈥淏roken on All Sides鈥� documentary screening and panel discussion at the College tomorrow.
鈥淚 am passionate about working to ensure equality and fairness across all ethnicities, religious and social economic backgrounds, with a focus on reaching prisoners, preparing them to re-enter society and their families,鈥� said Mac Donald, who grew up in Philadelphia and now lives in Upper Darby. 鈥淚 used my past failures as fuel to drive me forward. As a Christian, I live each day knowing that I can do all things through Christ who provides me strength.鈥�
大发六合彩 Broken on All Sides
Broken on All Sides is a 2012 documentary centered on the theory that mass incarceration has become 鈥渢he new Jim Crow鈥� in American society, as author Michelle Alexander has postulated in her book, 鈥淭he New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.鈥� Attorney Matthew Pillischer, the documentary鈥檚 director/producer, an advocate for prisoners鈥� rights, and a Temple University law school graduate, explores the U.S. criminal justice system through interviews with people 鈥渃aught up in or involved with the system鈥� with a keen eye toward examining how America鈥檚 drug war and tough-on-crime policies intersect with race, poverty and the U.S. criminal justice and penal systems.聽
大发六合彩 大发六合彩聽
The College has served the educational needs of Delaware and Chester counties since 1967, when it was founded. More than 27,000 students enroll each year at the College鈥檚 six Chester County and three Delaware County locations. The College offers quality, affordable education and training opportunities that help residents earn associate degrees, transfer to four-year colleges or universities, attain professional certification, or enhance their skills through enrichment courses. For more information, visit the College鈥檚 website at .
