Tucked away in the corner of Mt. SAC’s new student center building lies an office that offers hope for a better future for those who may have thought they did not have any.

As a continuation of last year’s article, the Rising Scholars is an outreach program created for the formerly incarcerated that puts them on an educational pathway toward graduation or career advancement.

In the first of a series of stories, SAC Media got another opportunity to sit down with those getting a second chance that most people take for granted.

Mt. SAC sophomore Timoteo Benitez, drug and alcohol counseling major, understands the magnitude of second chances and the profound impact it has on one’s mentality. Growing up, Benitez was surrounded by gang life and culture with both parents and most family members involved in gang activities alongside periodic police raids at his house.

It would not be long before he found himself walking down the same path. “It wasn’t always bad,” Benitez said. “I had school and sports but at 13 years old, I followed their steps and would be in and out of prison for the next 30 years of my life.”

Though prison would be a familiar scene, it was never easy to adjust to. “I would be in the ‘shoe’ a lot, level-four yard with high-risk offenders and time spent in solitary confinement. It was a humble experience,” Benitez said.

It wasn’t until after surviving an overdose on fentanyl three years ago that Benitez realized he had to make a change. “Is this going to be me for the rest of my life until I die?” Benitez said. “I had to find a career where I can give back because I know how it is being an addict, a gang member, in prison and homeless. I don’t wish that life on anybody.”

Hearing about Rising Scholars from his former co-worker at a probation office, Benitez made that change and enrolled in Mt. SAC where Rising Scholars guided him toward a better future.

While on the new road, Benitez, like many others formerly incarcerated, faced the reality of carrying a past, marred with crime and substance abuse. Having such a past can cause many delays and rejections for future employment and career advancement.

Though Mt. SAC has offered employee assistance not just to the formerly incarcerated, but any student who faces obstacles, having a criminal background does not offer much hope in career advancement when a student from Rising Scholars graduates.

One element to help those starting over after a life of incarceration is the Rising Scholars expungement workshop, a program where students can get their criminal records erased by a judge.

Part of their advocacy services, Rising Scholar students can qualify for their criminal records to be erased, but only under certain conditions and no offense can be of a serious nature such as violent or sexual crimes. “I never knew I could get my record expunged … a guy like me, no way. I think that’s pretty amazing,” Benitez said.

Now as a peer mentor to fellow Rising Scholars, Benitez wishes to pursue his education and continue on to a university in hopes of a bachelor’s degree in psychology. When asked about the lessons he has learned over the years, Benitez said:

Rising Scholars seeks to assist those directly impacted by the criminal justice system. For further information visit the Mt. SAC Rising Scholars website.