EL CAJON, Calif. (KERO) — A formerly incarcerated student turned her life around thanks to an education program that gave her a second chance.
Leslie Esparza was arrested in 2016 for drug possession and was sent to a prison in California. While in prison, she started taking classes. After being encouraged by her teachers, she entered a college program once she was released.
Since then, Esparza has teamed up with a college counselor to launch the Justice Scholars Program, a program designed to help formerly incarcerated students.
"I think for our program, the main goal, because of the experiences that we've seen with our students, is really to create that safe space," said Yohany Corona-Batalona, a counselor at Grossmont College. "A space for them to feel heard, to feel valued, to belong."
As a first-generation college student, Esparza says she never saw herself getting a degree. Now, she is about to finish her Associate's and has just been accepted into two California State University schools.
