In this essay, Michael Satterfield recounts his experiences as a student in and outside of prison. His narrative exposes the challenges faced by one person in pursuit of an education, and recounts his early educational experiences as well as his participation in a college-in-prison program. He also describes his journey to a four-year college and…

For eight years, Kathleen Monahan taught English literature and composition at Saint Peter's College satellite campus at Newark Airport. Her students were Port Authority employees--police officers, mechanics, bridge painters--trying to wedge an education into lives criss-crossed by split shifts, swing shifts, and double overtime. On the first…