19-05-2025
SDSU celebrates first graduating class of incarcerated students
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego State University on Thursday celebrated the graduation of its inaugural class of students in a program aimed at helping incarcerated individuals obtain a bachelor's degree from behind bars.
Called the Valuing Incarcerated Scholars through Academia program, or VISTA, the initiative allows inmates who have earned a transferrable associate's degree to complete a Bachelor of Arts in one of three areas of study: communications, journalism and art and design.
The educational program was founded by Professor Annie Buckley as a way to realize the aspirations of those within the correctional system, lowering their risk for recidivism and putting them on a course towards a better life once they are back in society.
The University of California has a similar program in partnership with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
When San Diego universities are holding their commencement ceremonies
'Students share that this degree impacts not only their own lives and trajectories, but their families and communities as well. SDSU is not only fostering academic achievement but also contributing to rehabilitation and personal transformation,' Buckley said in a statement.
The inaugural class of 27 inmates at the all-male Centinela State Prison in Imperial County began their studies in August 2023.
Clad in the traditional caps and gowns, the graduating students walked across a commencement stage and had their degrees conferred to them by SDSU leadership on Thursday, May 15, marking the end of their journey in the program.
One of the participants, Ruben Vargas, described VISTA in a statement shared by the university after the graduation ceremony as a 'new opportunity in life.'
'Earning my bachelor's degree renewed my confidence, my sense of self and transformed my outlook on life,' he said. 'It also allows me to set forth an example to my children, that in spite of any circumstances that life finds you in, if you put in the hard work and change your perspective you will persevere.'
SDSU President Adela de la Torre commended the class for their accomplishment in an address to the class during Thursday's ceremony.
'What we can achieve in the future should not be defined by our worst moments,' she said. 'Completing your degree is evidence of your tenacity and hard work, your care and hope for the future, and your potential – and those are the qualities that truly define you.'
More classes of incarcerated men at Centinela State Prison are set to graduate through the VISTA program in the coming years, with its third-ever class set to begin their studies in the fall.
The university says work is underway to expand the program, including the creation of new tools to support student learning, introduction of a humanities degree and development of a 'toolkit' to help other institutions to introduce similar higher education programs in prisons.
According to the university, this work is supported by a $1 million from the Mellon Foundation received last year.
'Our dedicated team of faculty and fellows have a powerful combination of lived and academic experience,' said Buckley. 'We are grateful to be part of this national movement to expand higher education, and are extremely proud to see our first graduates become SDSU alumni.'
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