At the Arizona State Prison – Marana, education staff provide the men with a lot of program opportunities including the chance to earn a GED. The following men talk about their experiences and how MTC has given them hope.

David Birkle

“Since coming here to Marana and MTC, I completed my GED…If it wasn’t for coming here, I could have possibly never gotten my GED, being the procrastinator that I am. But coming here has really inspired me to better myself and explore new horizons for myself. Now I’ve gotten my GED, and I’ve gotten OSHA certified.”

“With my upcoming release, I plan on possibly going and taking some business management classes and taking my NCCER credits and using that to get my contractor’s license and possibly start a small business which I wouldn’t have been able to do if I hadn’t had this opportunity.”

Luis Ramirez-Burgos

“What I plan to do when I get out is go to college or go to a university and just continue my studies in computer engineering…And once I get out, obviously with my GED, I’ll be able to get a better job. I’ll probably go work at a union with good pay.”

“If I was able to do it, anybody can do it. Just because you’re incarcerated doesn’t mean that the doors are closing on you and you can’t achieve anymore.”

Robert Schindewolf

“MTC has helped me in a lot of ways. I guess the main way has been to help me secure a road to the future. It’s helped me to learn about myself. There are different drug and alcohol classes that I really needed to have the tools to be a successful person for myself and for my family. It’s given me a road to education. I’ve been able to take the GED program. I plan on continuing that when I get out. I’m going to go on to college.”