Formerly incarcerated student finds educational success with support from Rising Scholars Network
by Brett Callwood
When Clifford Haines was released from Soledad State Prison on September 1, 2021, after serving a five-year sentence, the life he’d lived before serving his time was gone. His wife had passed away while he was incarcerated, and he had to start again. The basics—earning an income and finding a place to live—came first, but he knew that at some point he wanted to go back to school.
Having gotten clean and sober while in prison, Haines signed into a sober living facility and started working a 12-step program. He found a job, and the newfound security and being able to work remotely enabled him to enroll at Irvine Valley College. He planned to just take a few classes, but his girlfriend (now fiancé) talked him into pushing himself. He took six classes that first semester, without any support. Then, he connected with the Rising Scholars Network.
The Rising Scholars Network helps students who’ve experienced the criminal justice system overcome the significant barriers they often face in trying to achieve academic and career success. It formed in 2020, and evolved from an earlier program called Corrections to College California. The IVC chapter started in January 2024. The program is driven by Vision 2030, a strategic plan overseen by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office to increase equity in education.
“These programs will facilitate for you, they will provide you with resources, and they will make you feel comfortable. “You don’t have to do it alone.”
Clifford Haines, Rising Scholar, Irvine Valley College Graduate and California State University Long Beach Student
“I got introduced to Rising Scholars through a boxing gym called Neutral Ground,” Haines says. “This is a boxing program for at-risk youth. At the end of our workout sessions, we would form a circle and share something positive with each other. Through these interactions I learned that there are many programs out there that facilitate for formerly incarcerated students. I got plugged into the newly formed Rising Scholars at IVC, and this team helped me out tremendously.”
Haines completed his Associate in Science degree in business management at IVC, becoming the first Rising Scholar to graduate from that particular college. He plans to return to IVC eventually to get another associate degree in sociology as he is only two classes away, but has since transferred.
“I’m currently attending CSULB [California State University Long Beach], working on my undergraduate in business accountancy,” Haines says. “I hope to get my bachelor’s degree, then a master’s. I would really love to go to law school as well, but I have to be mindful and focus on what I can do today.”
Haines says that Rising Scholars has been a huge help on his educational journey. The program provided him with books and supplies, including a laptop, and much more.
“They gave me gift cards for gas and access to the free food pantry,” Haines says. “Above all these things though, they helped me to graduate and are still helping me to graduate again. They helped to bring together all my college credits from different classes and provided me with a personalized plan to graduate. They provided me a safe place and welcomed me with support. It was a much different experience once Rising Scholars came about.”
Haines recommends that students in need of support take advantage of all of the resources available.
“These programs will facilitate for you, they will provide you with resources, and they will make you feel comfortable,” he says. “You don’t have to do it alone.”
For more info about the Rising Scholars Network, go to risingscholarsnetwork.org. To learn more about the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and Vision 2030, visit www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Vision-2030.
