Editor’s note: Conner McCowan is an incarcerated student in Grand Valley State University’s educational program at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility. The opinions expressed in this piece are his own and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Bellamy Creek Program.
Dear Lanthorn editor,
In the October 28, 2024 iteration of this very newspaper, an opinion piece was written by Macenzie Conn regarding a new program being offered by Grand Valley State University, where incarcerated individuals take classes to earn a bachelor’s degree. One of Conn’s sentiments was that the program, which started this academic year, needed more awareness, and I thought that maybe I could help.
My name is Conner McCowan, and I am the president of the Student Voice Council for this groundbreaking GVSU program. I, along with 16 of my peers, am an incarcerated individual at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility in Ionia, Michigan. I am working toward earning a bachelor’s degree in public and nonprofit administration.
Maybe you’ve heard of this program already, or maybe you are just learning that it exists. Either way, I hope this column can show you that even though our two worlds are completely different, we as GVSU students are a lot more similar than you might realize.
For starters, my fellow classmates and I had to undergo the same admission process of any person wishing to attend the University. We filled out our applications, wrote our essays and proceeded to wait with bated breath to find out whether or not we had been accepted.
Once admitted, we started our classes in the fall, just like many of you did. We often wondered what students on campus were thinking or feeling as the semester started and progressed. Then came midterms and finals, and now that our first semester is in the books, I am proud to say that my fellow classmates and I achieved an average 3.68 GPA, and many of us made the dean’s list. This to me, is extremely remarkable, considering we have all been out of school for over a decade, some of us even nearing half a century. You can rest assured we worked our tails off for those grades.
Unfortunately, because of our physical location, we don’t have access to computers at this current moment, so our research is done rather primitively. This means that all of our essays are either typed using a typewriter or are handwritten. Trust us, MLA and APA formatting with a pen and pencil is the bane of our existence as students.
More than anything, what my classmates and I want you to know is that we are just like you. We get nervous as a big exam approaches, we second guess our work right before we turn it in and we even sometimes suffer from imposter syndrome. However, I am sure that once our professors read this, they will scratch their heads and wonder how or why we would feel this way.
I say that because this cohort of 17 students at Bellamy Creek are really gifted individuals, just like we all know you are. We have a student here who I think knows more about artificial intelligence than the average person, despite being incarcerated for more than 20 years. There are also students who study real analysis and quantum mechanics in their free time, and a student who aspires to become a doctor, and is taking the necessary steps to make that happen. Many of my fellow students have already expressed interest in pursuing a master’s degree in the nonprofit field, and will undoubtedly be successful in their pursuit.
The thing I am most proud of is my classmates’ desire to give back. Ask any individual in my cohort what their plans are upon release and they will surely explain a goal that is meant to make a positive difference in the community. Some students desire to start peer support groups to help those struggling with mental health. Others plan to start nonprofits to build homes for the unhoused, lend support to people reentering society and provide food for the hungry.
It brings me so much pride to be surrounded by others in this program, and knowing we are not alone. We recognize we have a family of thousands of fellow students in Allendale and we all feel so much pride in knowing we are Lakers. We want you to know that you have a family in us as well.
We look forward to sharing more of our writing with you in order for you to learn more about us, and we can learn more about you.
Sincerely,
Conner McCowan
