By Frank Carlile
I’m not the smartest person in this prison, but I would like to be. I’ve met some very intelligent people here, and try to learn from each of them.
When I first transferred here, I signed up for every class I could. By the time I left the transfer unit, I was in a class every night of the week. I read books from the library and through the mail. My goal was to obtain an education. Photo courtesy wvgazette.com
Money was short, but I wrote to the Education Department and talked with my Higher Power. Someone listened, and soon I was accepted into the Welding program. After completing this program, I followed it up with Auto Body Repair and then Heating and Air Conditioning (which my family paid for).
Not long after that, I lost an argument with a guard and ended up in segregation. Even though I’m stuck in this tiny cell, I’m still sticking to my goals. I’m back writing the Education Department and reading everything I can – law, real estate, electricity, and psychology. I hope to complete at least one more vocational class and take some academic college courses before my release.
Moral of the story: Never give up on your education regardless of where you happen to be or how you managed to get there.
Published Jul 12, 2013 by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA | Last Updated by Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA on Jul 15, 2024 at 5:11 pm