COLDWATER, MI — June 10th was graduation day for 23 Kellogg Community College students who received their degrees in Coldwater from KCC President Dr. Paul Watson on a hot patio, with a chain-link fence and razor wire in the background.
All graduates were incarcerated at Lakeland Correctional Facility—the first to earn KCC business degrees and certificates through a new higher-education program at the facility.
Despite the setting, the ceremony mirrored a traditional commencement, with caps and gowns, speeches, and a walk across the stage as family and friends looked on.
The graduation is part of a growing statewide model.
According to Dr. Shawn Tylutki, assistant education manager for the Michigan Department of Corrections, 13 college partners held 10 prison graduations this year, up from nine last year, with 240 students earning degrees.
At Lakeland, all but two graduates were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, recognizing academic achievement with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
“You’ve opened the door,” Watson told graduates. “You have redefined what is possible for yourself and your families.”
MDOC Director Heidi Washington thanked KCC staff and families, noting their influence beyond prison walls.
“You are an inspiration… the effect you are having on the outside is evident,” Washington said, looking at the proud, smiling families in the crowd.
Joey Wright, KCC’s public safety education director, acknowledged the challenges of learning in prison. “This journey wasn’t smooth or easy—but today you can be proud of what you’ve become.”
Student Averis Wilson spoke for himself and other students, “I see myself in the same community I left outside the fence — this time not destroying it, but rebuilding, protecting, and serving it.”
The 45-year-old is serving life for a 2002 first-degree murder in Wayne County.
Others, like John Munro, are waiting for parole. His release is expected next year after a 2017 conviction for child abuse in Berry County.
Tearful mother, Michelle Crow, said Munro has made major changes. “He’s motivated. He’s very smart. He thinks about things. He wants to make a good life for himself, so I’m very proud of him.”
Acting Warden Russ Rurka praised the KCC students for transforming themselves in a restrictive, often distracting environment.
“You personally make this facility a better place because of what you’ve done and how you conduct yourself,” Rurka said.
Graduates earned a Business Entrepreneurship Certificate, a Business Management Certificate, and an Associate of Applied Science in Business Management.
All plan to continue their education, with KCC or the Western Michigan University program, with teachers in the Coldwater prison.
Dr. Tylutki said more college partners are joining the MDOC higher education effort. A new educational center is being developed at the Thumb Correctional Facility to accommodate 620 students by early 2028.
The program includes vocational training, offers specialized equipment and credentials similar to those of other colleges, and assists inmates in securing employment before release.
Contact Don Reid, dReid@USATodayCo.Com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Lakeland inmates graduate from Kellogg Community College in Coldwater
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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By Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter | USA TODAY Network
