At the Indiana Women’s Prison, graduation day looked familiar in many ways.
There were caps and gowns, diplomas awarded, applause from the room, and smiles from graduates who had completed the work required to earn a college degree.
But for the women earning degrees through Marian University, the day carried a meaning all its own.
Marian University celebrated students who completed associate and bachelor’s degree programs through the Women’s College Partnership at Indiana Women’s Prison, a Marian University program that provides access to higher education for women incarcerated at the facility.
For the graduates, the ceremony marked the completion of serious academic work and a formal recognition of the time, discipline, and commitment it took to finish.
“This means my life has been saved,” said Summer Malicoat. “The opportunity that I have here gave me something I never could have reached by myself. I thank God first. And I am so proud of myself. This gave me the opportunity to learn how to love myself for the first time in my life.”
This gave me the opportunity to learn how to love myself for the first time in my life.— Summer Malicoat
The ceremony also included words of encouragement from Judge David Certo, who challenged the graduates to think about the people who will support them as they continue forward.
“Who shares your dream?” Certo asked. “What does that person add to your effort and determination that brought you here today? I invite you to make your plan now and build your team for your future achievements.”
For Marian, the program reflects a belief that education can meet people where they are, extending opportunity beyond a traditional campus setting while maintaining the expectations of a college degree.
“We feel called to bring Marian’s unique and rigorous brand of education to people who have otherwise no access to it,” said Justin McDevitt, director of the Women’s College Partnership at Indiana Women’s Prison. “It’s part of our mission as a university to go where the people are and serve them where they are.”
That mission is rooted in Marian’s commitment to the dignity of the individual and the belief that education can help students develop their gifts, their confidence, and their ability to contribute to the lives of others.
For Paige Herendeen, completing the program has opened a wider sense of what may be possible.
“It gives you confidence going into interviews,” Herendeen said. “If I wanted to open up a small business, I have an advantage. It showed me that I have a voice, and that I want to help other people to have a voice.”
As the ceremony concluded, the graduates joined the Marian University alumni community, carrying with them the pride of what they earned and the possibility of what comes next.