{"id":7823,"date":"2026-08-27T06:07:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:07:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7823"},"modified":"2026-08-27T06:07:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:07:19","slug":"student-51-turned-life-around-in-prison-graduates-east-bay-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7823","title":{"rendered":"Student, 51, turned life around in prison, graduates East Bay college"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Benjamin Osborn never expected community college to become his turning point in a life marked by addiction, incarceration and years of uncertainty.<\/p>\n

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At age 51 today, the honors graduate from Pittsburg\u2019s Los Medanos College is a Cal State East Bay student, a mentor and an advocate who helped shape the Resilience, Inclusion and Self-Empowerment (RISE) program at Los Medanos, creating new opportunities for students who are currently or were formerly incarcerated.<\/p>\n

Osborn, who was born in Mount Shasta and grew up in Siskiyou County, earned his GED while incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, his goal was practical: Completing educational milestones reduced prison sentences. The classes soon became something much larger, though.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found out that not only was I a good student, but I enjoyed school,\u201d Osborn said.<\/p>\n

He spent a total of 21 years incarcerated over two prison terms. His most recent sentence stemmed from convictions including car theft, burglary, heroin possession, assault and being a fugitive from another state. During the pandemic, educational opportunities slowed dramatically as correctional facilities restricted programs, delaying opportunities for sentence reductions.<\/p>\n

After earning his GED in 2022, Osborn enrolled in college courses while incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Solano County. Representatives from Project Rebound and Rising Scholars encouraged him to attend Los Medanos College after his release because they believed similar support existed there. Instead, Osborn discovered the campus had no program for justice-impacted students (those whose lives the criminal justice system has affected in one way or another).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I enrolled at Los Medanos in 2024, I found out that neither of these programs existed on my campus,\u201d he said. \u201cThat started my journey of advocating for RISE to be created.\u201d<\/p>\n

That conversation led him to Nicole Gomes, who, along with Andrew Murphy and Director Carissa Craig-Huddleston, was developing what would become the RISE program. The program officially launched last year after receiving funding through California\u2019s Rising Scholars initiative from the California Community Colleges Chancellor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

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Murphy, an Extended Opportunities Programs and Services (EOPS) coordinator and RISE co-coordinator, said the program\u2019s mission is to help justice-impacted students navigate higher education while overcoming barriers unique to re-entry.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt its core, RISE is about creating opportunities,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cWe want students to know that their past doesn\u2019t define their future and that they belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n

While EOPS supports low-income and educationally disadvantaged students, Murphy said RISE addresses challenges specific to students returning from incarceration, including employment barriers, rebuilding confidence and overcoming stigma. Many participants qualify for both programs, allowing staff members to provide comprehensive academic, financial and personal support.<\/p>\n

Murphy said students often juggle family responsibilities, housing concerns, transportation issues and gaps in technology skills after spending years away from classrooms.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDespite all that, they\u2019re among the most determined and resilient students I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Osborn quickly distinguished himself as more than a participant, becoming the college\u2019s first RISE student and now serving as its mentor while also working as a student ambassador. He regularly helps classmates with assignments, technology and navigating college resources.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want a single student to feel left behind or like they don\u2019t matter,\u201d Osborn said.<\/p>\n

His advocacy extends beyond Los Medanos College. As an ambassador for Berkeley Underground Scholars, he helps connect justice-impacted students with transfer opportunities and is developing a nonprofit, \u201cFrom Shackles to Scholarships,\u201d to assist formerly incarcerated students with scholarship applications.<\/p>\n

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Education transformed more than Osborn\u2019s career plans. Graduating with honors represented a personal promise fulfilled after years of addiction and separation from his family. His 13-year-old daughter attended Osborn\u2019s commencement, along with relatives who traveled from Oregon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to change the label of being a felon \u2026 to something that is positive and memorable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Osborn initially planned to become a drug and alcohol counselor but changed his major to sociology after discovering his passion for advocacy. He also completed multiple liberal arts degrees after realizing he had accumulated enough coursework while incarcerated to earn additional credentials.<\/p>\n

He transferred to Cal State East Bay after being accepted by several universities, including UC Berkeley, UC Davis, San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco. Although now pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree, Osborn continues working at Los Medanos College while searching for full-time employment. He said a criminal record remains a significant obstacle despite his academic success and that his long-term goal is to work permanently at Los Medanos, expand RISE and eventually teach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it started with me, but now we have over 50 students,\u201d he said. \u201cThe goal is 100 RISE students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy said watching students gain confidence is the most rewarding part of his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see someone come unsure of themselves, and over time they become confident, graduate, transfer to a university or start a career they never imagined was possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Gomes, a RISE co-coordinator and NextUp coordinator, said students often discover support services simply by asking questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many students don\u2019t realize there are programs specifically designed to support them,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes all it takes is one chat to see what resources can help.\u201d<\/p>\n

Osborn hopes his story encourages others rebuilding their lives to pursue education, regardless of age or circumstance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing to remember is that it is never too late to start doing great things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He said he believes community colleges offer critical support systems for justice-impacted students, helping them replace cycles of incarceration with opportunities for education, employment and service. Through determination, education and RISE, Osborn says he has found a sense of belonging and purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am very passionate about the RISE program, and I want nothing but good things to happen to it,\u201d Osborn said. \u201cFor the first time in my life, I am a part of something that matters and that can make a difference and do some good in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reach Diablo Valley College journalism professor and freelance writer Charleen Earley at charleenbearley@gmail.com\u00a0or 925-383-3072.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Sierra LaMar retrial: Charging doc alleges new attempted kidnapping as jury selection begins<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The graduate from Pittsburg’s Los Medanos now advocates for other justice-impacted individuals in higher education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nStudent, 51, turned life around in prison, graduates East Bay college - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7823\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Student, 51, turned life around in prison, graduates East Bay college - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The graduate from Pittsburg's Los Medanos now advocates for other justice-impacted individuals in higher education.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7823\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-27T06:07:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Student, 51, turned life around in prison, graduates East Bay college\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-27T06:07:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823\"},\"wordCount\":1056,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/734c659f7a3b28e231a8a2add08fbfd7.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Local News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7823\",\"name\":\"Student, 51, turned life around in prison, graduates East Bay college - 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