Vivian Nixon
Executive Director, College & Community Fellowship
I had a lot of shame about going to prison⁠,
a deep-rooted shame.
And I needed to do something where
I felt I accomplished something positive
that my family could be proud of,
that my friends could be proud of, that I could be proud of. 
And I had a very strong desire to get a college education.
Most of the services that were being provided to women
leaving prison were grounded in
low-wage jobs or substance abuse treatment—
services that people absolutely need—
but College & Community Fellowship was the only
organization I was able to find that focused on
access to higher education and
all of the benefits that come with that.
