{"id":233893,"date":"2026-05-08T15:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T01:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=233893"},"modified":"2026-05-13T13:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T23:00:19","slug":"windward-cc-from-incarceration-to-graduation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/05\/08\/windward-cc-from-incarceration-to-graduation\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing opportunity: Windward CC<\/abbr> alumna\u2019s journey from incarceration to graduation"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Alcoran
Tami Alcoran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tamila “Tami” Alcoran’s college journey began in an unlikely place: prison. This spring, she will graduate from Windward Community College with an Associate in Arts degree and continue to the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health<\/a>, building on academic work she first started through the college’s Puʻuhonua<\/span> Incarcerated Education Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Grads
Alcoran (second on the left) at the 2024 Mental Health Technician graduation ceremony at the Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Women’s Community Correctional Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Puʻuhonua<\/span> provides access to credit-bearing college coursework for incarcerated students, helping create pathways for educational achievement both during incarceration and after release.<\/p>\n

“I just got out of prison. I’ve been there for nine years, and my journey actually started at the prison,” Alcoran said. “Taking classes sparked my interest in going back to school—that I can do it.”<\/p>\n

During her incarceration, Alcoran completed approximately 20 college courses, earned a 3.76 GPA<\/abbr> and received certificates in psychosocial development and mental health technician.<\/p>\n

“It’s encouraging that you can do it,” she said. “You get the diploma and it’s like, wow, I did it.”<\/p>\n

Transitional support<\/h2>\n
\"Alcoran
“Knowledge is power.”— Alcoran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After returning home, Alcoran enrolled at Windward CC<\/abbr> to complete her associate degree. She said support from Puʻuhonua<\/span> and TRiO<\/abbr> Student Support Services<\/a> helped ease her transition back into college life.<\/p>\n

“The transition was very smooth,” she said. “The people are wonderful… any question I have, they answer.”<\/p>\n

After spending years without access to technology, adjusting to computers presented an early challenge.<\/p>\n

“I was a little bit challenged with the computers because I didn’t have a computer for so many years,” she said. “But they were so wonderful and helped guide what I needed to do.”<\/p>\n

Paying it forward<\/h2>\n
\"Alcoran
“Everybody deserves second, sometimes third or fourth chances.” —Alcoran<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Her experiences led her toward social work. After witnessing the challenges many women face after incarceration, Alcoran hopes to help others navigate reentry.<\/p>\n

“Knowledge is power,” she said. “Everybody deserves second, sometimes third or fourth chances.”<\/p>\n

“Being nine years incarcerated, seeing the comings and goings of women… when they get out, they need something to help them,” she said. “If I can help out in whatever way I can, that’s one of my goals.”<\/p>\n

Now preparing for graduation and her next chapter at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, Alcoran hopes her story encourages others to take the first step toward higher education.<\/p>\n

Meet more amazing UH<\/abbr> graduates<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

“Don’t be scared,” she said. “It is scary to try and go back to school, but just take one day at a time.”<\/p>\n

Windward CC<\/abbr>‘s commencement ceremony<\/a> will be held on Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. on campus.<\/p>\n

Donate to Windward Community College’s Puʻuhonua<\/span> Incarcerated Education program<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tamila “Tami” Alcoran will graduate from Windward CC<\/abbr> and continue to UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, building on work she started through the Puʻuhonua<\/span> Incarcerated Education Program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":233885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[234,71,9,66],"class_list":["post-233893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-commencement","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-manoa","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t