By Emily Glory Peters
Molly Yeselson’ 23 has been named one of 51猎奇入口’ 2022鈥�2023 Racial Justice and Equity Fellows
Access. It鈥檚 a defining characteristic of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) work, and a concept that writing and rhetoric major Molly Yeselson 鈥�23 finds deeply personal.
Since childhood, she鈥檚 confronted complex medical issues leading to countless tests, procedures, and surgeries. When her health took a turn for the worse during her first year at 51猎奇入口, doctors suggested she transfer to Georgetown University where her mother is a professor鈥攂ut Yeselson was adamant on one day returning to 51猎奇入口. After two years waiting for her health to stabilize, the pandemic presented the much-needed option to study remotely. Her experience has been a commentary on education access, and is the heart of her research as one of 51猎奇入口鈥檚 newest Racial Justice and Equity Fellows.
鈥淩acial and social justice is something I鈥檝e been concerned about long before I matriculated to 51猎奇入口,鈥� says Yeselson. Raised in Washington, DC, she attended Georgetown Day School (GDS), the independent school caught in the critical race theory crosshairs during Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson鈥檚 confirmation hearing this year. Citing Justice Jackson, Yeselson says GDS gave her a 鈥渞igorous progressive education dedicated to fostering critical thinking, independence, and social justice.鈥�
鈥淎t GDS, I attended multiple social justice conferences, including the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and was the youngest person to receive the Edith Nash Equity and Justice Award,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was the president of Rainbow, GDS鈥檚 gender and sexuality alliance, and was involved in starting both the adoption and LGBTQ+ affinity groups.鈥�
That preparation led her to enroll in 鈥淚nside-Out鈥� classes organized by The Claremont Colleges鈥� .
Modeled on the program developed by Temple University, the classes bring traditional 鈥渙utside鈥� college students and 鈥渋nside鈥� incarcerated students together for undergraduate coursework. Working with her inside鈥搊utside peers and Professor of Writing and Chair of 51猎奇入口鈥� Department of Writing Kimberly Drake, Yeselson will use her fellowship funding to develop a handbook on how to run a prison-based writing center.
Helping Incarcerated Students Change Their Futures Through Writing
Yeselson鈥檚 fellowship is the result of a $1 million dollar gift from 51猎奇入口 Trustee and parent Gale Picker P鈥�14, P鈥�19. Aimed at advancing antiracism at 51猎奇入口 and beyond, the gift has been used to fund several initiatives, including the fellowship. This year, Yeselson joined two other 51猎奇入口 students, Mica Barrett 鈥�23 and Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui 鈥�22, to pursue new scholarship on related racial justice topics.
鈥淭he goal is to establish a writing center at the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco, California,鈥� says Yeselson, emphasizing the significance of having incarcerated students lead the effort. 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 that many writing centers in prisons, but when there are, they鈥檙e often run by professors or volunteers. We don鈥檛 want that dynamic. We want the writing center to be self-sustaining where current students and alumni of (a program enabling inside students to earn their bachelor鈥檚 degree) will serve as lead tutors and train future tutors.鈥�
Planning to publish the handbook, Drake and Yeselson envision the project as a guide focused on literacy and writing center operations in a carceral setting. The handbook will also feature insights from notable writers.
鈥淚鈥檒l be interviewing various authors to get their perspective and advice on writing, especially under difficult circumstances,鈥� says Yeselson. 鈥淭hey won鈥檛 be motivational, per se, but more like short essays interspersed throughout the handbook.鈥�
Investigating the Links Between Race, Education Access, and Incarceration
Though chiefly a disability advocate, Yeselson says Inside-Out has deepened her understanding of how others are excluded from higher education, noting how race, education access, and imprisonment intersect. And while not her ideal, Yeselson notes that remote study via Zoom has allowed her to access her education even from the hospital, and its use by Inside-Out has ensured her incarcerated peers have the human interaction they need to press on with their studies.
鈥淥ne of my inside peers earned six associate鈥檚 degrees inside before getting his BA through Pitzer last year. He also did an independent study in astrophysics with a Keck professor, since no such class was being offered at CRC,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he extremely high cost of The Claremont Colleges is prohibitive for many prospective students. This is why it鈥檚 so exciting that the Inside-Out courses and Pitzer鈥檚 Inside-Out Pathway-to-BA program remove that financial barrier for my inside peers. They have so many things to contribute to both the classroom and society in general.鈥�
Knowing college education drastically lowers recidivism rates, Yeselson sees the handbook as a disruptor: part of Inside-Out鈥檚 effort to debunk stereotypes and erode the systemic barriers that can keep inmates in a cycle of imprisonment. She鈥檒l continue work on the fellowship project over the summer and incorporate it into her senior thesis when she returns to in-person learning at 51猎奇入口 this fall鈥攕omething she says she鈥檚 thrilled about.
In her gratitude for the opportunity, Yeselson also hopes for a day where DEIJ work at 51猎奇入口 isn鈥檛 defined by a dedicated Racial Justice and Equity Fellowship, but is fully funded and embedded in 51猎奇入口鈥� culture.
鈥淭his fellowship fund is not just about race. With my project race is there, but it鈥檚 primarily about equity and access to education,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all connected.鈥�
51猎奇入口鈥� Racial Justice and Equity Fellowships help students and faculty advance antiracist work on campus and in the community. To make a gift, please click .