As the end of Spring semester comes nearer, Caden Diaz is getting ready for Commencement, deciding where he will be transferring in the fall, while balancing his part-time job, his responsibilities as SGA Vice President and member of Psi Beta, and his school work.
In his free time on Wednesdays though, you can find Caden helping inmates at the State Correctional Institution at Chester in Chester County, Pennsylvania with their math.
Caden has been a volunteer for the Petey Greene Program since November 2023. Founded in 2008, the Petey Greene Program supports the academic goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through high-quality volunteer tutoring programs. In addition to this mission, the Petey Greene Program strives to educate their volunteers on the injustices in our carceral system and encourages them advocate for the reimagining of our current criminal legal system.
Caden’s volunteer group, which includes students from Haverford, Swarthmore, and the University of Pennsylvania, visit the prison every Wednesday morning. The volunteers are escorted to the education floor where they work with a group of students who are struggling in their GED classes and provide them academic support, most frequently with math. The volunteers usually work one-on-one with their students. Caden works with the students who primarily speak Spanish.
The experience has been a transformative one for not only the students Caden works with, but for Caden himself as well. Caden mentioned that one of the students he works with, Mariano, has helped Caden more with his Spanish than Caden has helped him with his math. Mariano grew up in the Dominican Republic at a time where education was not widely available. Caden noted that Mariano keeps the notes from each of their sessions in a manila folder, ready to review and expand on the next week.
“Although I was not initially informed or engaged about education and reform in prisons, it has evolved to become something I am passionate about,” stated Caden. “My interactions with the students at the prison have been impactful.”
Caden speaks highly of the Petey Greene Program, and has had a positive experience as a volunteer. He receives reimbursement for his travel, has the opportunity to meet students from other institutions, and most importantly, makes an impact on the students he works with, just as they make an impact on him.
“I would encourage anyone interested to take the chance on it,” said Caden of being a volunteer in the Petey Greene Program. “I think that more than anything, someone’s involvement in the program will surprise them. It definitely challenges any preconceived notions you might have.”
Caden is planning to transfer to a four-year institution in the fall, although he is not sure which one just yet, to study neuroscience and behavior with the goal of attending medical school in the future. Caden hopes to practice Psychiatry- ideally in a prison, as he believes that it is important that mental health care is accessible to all.
