Life After Death and Prison
Headed to school on another regular day, I saw first responder vehicles blocking off a whole street near my home. Glancing as I passed, I couldn’t see what had happened, though it had obviously been a fatal accident. As I got to school, the hustle and bustle of class, homework, and friends consumed my attention and I forgot all about the accident— that is, until second period when the school police officer and counselor escorted me from class to the office. As a respectable honors student, I wracked my brain as to what I had done to deserve the attention of the police. After about an hour of waiting, I was then escorted into the police officer’s office, where I found my mother and grandparents. I was left speechless as I found out the very accident I passed only hours earlier was the accident that killed my dad. Amid the grief, I remember a strong consensus among my family concerning the wellbeing of the man who ran the red light. Our family had already been stretched and torn, and the last thing we wanted was for that man to be taken from his family and stuck in prison for the mistake he had made that morning. The day of my dad’s funeral, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace come over me, telling me that everything would be alright. Ever since that day, I have continued to feel that peace along with a call to action in helping others during their moments of grief.
Years later, a friend of mine told me about the Social Innovation Projects (SIP), an on-campus internship through the Ballard Center that connects students to intern with organizations that are innovatively alleviating social problems. She enthusiastically told me how it was unlike any other class experience—it changed her life and others as she had the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. As I listened, I knew I needed to get involved!
When I was signed up for SIP, I was blessed to be placed on a team to intern for The Other Side Academy (TOSA), a peer-driven and self-sustained organization that helps convicts reshape their life. Through TOSA, I have had the opportunity to help those who have made mistakes turn their life around. Just like I wanted the man who killed my dad to have a full and meaningful life spent with his family, I too want each of the convicts involved with TOSA to rekindle their hope and reshape their lives, so they can be reunited with their families and society as honorable men and women.