Learning is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. I believe this is true whether a person is in prison or not. And I have tried to spend almost every day learning something new. So that, even when I have a bad day or a bad experience, I can look at what I’ve learned that day or in that experience, and still gain something positive from it.
Recently, our Peer Success Leader, Celeste Blair, created the 90 day Challenge for us to take back to the individual units and encourage other people to become the best version of themselves by pursuing one direction, or one spoke on the Wellness Wheel. I volunteered to take on the task of the Spanish Challenge, so people can increase their knowledge of another language, and strengthen the Intelligence spoke of their Wellness Wheel.
Learning any language can be difficult for people, but given the large Spanish-speaking population residing with us inside these walls helps overcome the challenge because there are so many people to practice and converse with. I have enjoyed the challenge, myself, of learning Spanish while incarcerated, for that simple fact. It has enabled me to approach people I would have never spoken to before simply to practice my vocabulary or accent. This results in many benefits. Once the Spanish-speaking population knows that someone wants to learn, they are more willing to teach, they are more hospitable, and they become more inclusive because you are trying to meet them on their level. Spanish is also the dominant language in 23 different countries and given the large immigrant population in the United States, becoming bilingual could enhance a person’s job prospects upon release. These are just a few reasons why I took on the assignment of bringing this challenge to the table.
I will have to create assignments for the participants, and then a final test so that the participants can demonstrate their increased knowledge systematically. I hope there is at least one participant per unit so that we can have 11 individuals who are one step closer to being more fulfilled, not just in their local community, but also upon release. The 90 day Challenge has given all the units an opportunity to bring their A game to the table.
