JAMIE E. SCURRY, dean of the School of Continuing Studies at Roger Williams University, was recently presented with the Success Value Award from the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education. The award honors an individual who is committed to working toward having all students realize their potential and gain skills necessary for their holistic development. Among the programs Scurry helps oversee at RWU are the school’s partnership with the Gateway to College National Network, which helps high school dropouts secure a high school diploma and associate degree, and Pivot the Hustle, which offers inmates at the R.I. Department of Corrections a shift from criminal life to a productive career.
In what ways do you help students realize their full potential? We design programs that are innovative and transformative because they directly challenge and disrupt the status quo. Specifically, we create learning plans that meet students’ needs and goals and fit within their lives. Some students come to us knowing how to achieve their potential, and others are unsure of what they want to do or become. For those who know how, we remove the obstacles and barriers that have thwarted their previous efforts. For those who are unsure, we start with self-exploration and discovery.
How beneficial has it been for students in the Gateway to College program to receive an education? We live in a world where a high school diploma is a ticket – a ticket to employment, to postsecondary education, to a road that has fewer potholes and dead-end streets. For students who are off track to earn a diploma and have been made to feel like they failed and aren’t good at school, being in this program builds self-efficacy and confidence and provides students with proof that they can achieve, that they can overcome obstacles.
Does the Pivot the Hustle program change the perception that prison inmates can be rehabilitated? That is the aim. Certainly, some folks just don’t believe that people can change. But this program demonstrates that many inmates are striving toward positive futures. I am proud of the men and women who participate in this program and the tough work they undertake. They work hard analyzing their lives, identifying the formative moments, understanding their stories and choices, identifying new choices, and building the skills and plans to execute those new choices and fulfill their purpose.
What other future initiatives are you currently working on at RWU? I am working on a few new initiatives that are focused on creating learning environments and programs that meet the needs of students, families, communities and industry not just for today but in 10, 15, 20 years. They’re models that create systemic change and positively disrupt the current system and structure.