A Chance Encounter
– by Ken Bolding
As I was walking to my car just now, a guy asked where he could find the counselors and the enrollment office. I told him that they’re already closed, but they’ll be open again on Monday. He was disappointed, and asked which campus gates were still open; so he could get to the subway station. I told him the one at the staff lot where I was going would definitely be open. As we walked in the same direction, he just launched into his story.
He’s an ex-con and hasn’t finished his GED but wants to know if it’s possible to start taking classes because he’s eager to turn his life around. His kid’s mother came here and it seemed to help her; so he wanted to give it a try. He wondered whether being an ex-con would be a problem.
I told him that President Obama spoke here a few weeks ago, and when I was in line to get tickets, the guy in front of me in line told us his story. He was in prison. The Obama administration worked to change the sentencing guidelines to lessen the disparity between crack and powdered cocaine. Because of that change, he had been released from prison 15 years early. He came to this school, and joined the culinary program. He has since graduated and is working successfully as a sous chef, and is also planning to finish a 4-year degree.
So, yes, I said to the young man headed for the train. You can come out of prison and do really well here. Come back on Monday, and the councelors will let you know what you need to do.
He seemed determined as he headed for the train. It struck me how polite and how young he is. He seemed barely 20 and was already a father and an ex-con. I hope I run into him in two years, and he’s a barber.
It’s nice to know that with all the bureaucracy and frustration that surrounds this school, we still manage to change people’s lives, and make the world a slightly better place.
