IMPACT
The Power of Education
Lion Life has awarded over 250 students with their official General Education Diplomas (GEDs) through our program.
Over 14,000 books checked out since 2020, resulting in almost 80,000 collected hours of reading time.
Rallied 57 volunteers from our community to help administer 35-45 classes per week across 8 programs at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center since 2018.
Stories that Transform
Our students consistently write powerful poetry, novels, and plays; many of which have been picked up for publication. One group collaboratively wrote a four-act play, held auditions in their dormitory, and performed the entire play after many hours of rehearsal. Recently, one of our writers won an honorable mention award in the national Writers of the Future Contest for a short story he began while in our class. Many writers still attend our community writing group years after they have been released. The most powerful impact of the Creative Writing classes are the hundreds of testimonials we receive each year like this one:
“It has opened up my mind. I have gotten more creative in my writing and been able to practice my writing in a group which has improved my self esteem, my learning, and my confidence. In my opinion, it’s changed my life.” - Kristopher, a student
Student Success
After incarceration, a student becomes the intake director of a local rehabilitation facility and launches his own small business as a direct result of our programs.
A student recently completed their second year at Lockheed Martin where he has received multiple promotions and continues to engage in our Creative Writing classes on the outside.
One of our Creative Writing students took a role as a General Manager of a restaurant for two years. Recently promoted, he now assists in the chain's expansion and helps in opening multiple new locations on the east coast.
After release, a student went on to become a firefighter, the coach of his son’s baseball team, and recently obtained his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL).
After spending years dealing with drug abuse and homelessness, one of our now gainfully-employed students has a forthcoming collection of poems which can be heard at local community events.
How Music Heals
A student slowly walked into my music class with her eyes scanning the ground as she tried to find a seat. She had come to the class 3 times before, intermittently, and yet she still declared to the class, usually to a fellow inmate, how she would never be able to “get this music stuff”. She called herself an idiot with the same breath. I stopped teaching and asked her if she would call my 2 year old daughter an idiot for not being able to do something as simple as tie her own shoes. She replied, “Of course not!” To which I replied, “Then you must not call yourself dumb for not being able to do something that you have never learned! Try again.”
A few classes later with our newly-allowed mini piano keyboards, she hit the keys with frustration and pushed the instrument away. I worked with her individually on the areas that she wasn’t understanding and in ten minutes she was playing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” accurately and in tempo! The entire class erupted in cheers for our friend who had battled tiny plastic rectangles and come out the victor! Strangely, she began weeping. Unbeknownst to us, this woman was born legally deaf and had undergone several treatments and therapy to improve her hearing. Growing up, her musician mother would yell at her, discouraging her from ever singing or playing music. She had a lifelong dream of even attaining the smallest musical achievement, which she gained in my class in the jail. Since that special day, she has completed her music theory assignments and compositions with flying colors!
A New Start
Every quarter a new cohort of 30 students learn from seasoned leaders in our community who teach them the basics of business. These students complete real business plans and prepare budgets for their future which stirs up hope that upon release they might have a chance against the devastating cycle of recidivism and for a better life.
From Incarceration to College
In the summer of 2024, a student took our G.E.D. pretest and failed every single section. He began studying, attending classes, and completing every assignment given to him. Within six months, he raised his pretest score enough to be eligible to take the official G.E.D. test. On his first attempt, he passed everything except the math section. After another month of study, he retook and passed the math section of the official exam merely days before he was released. Since rejoining the community, he has taken our Continuing Education course as he was preparing to enroll in college. This spring he walked into his first college course at the age of 33. While this is a more recent story, every year we get to see many of our students make the journey from incarceration to college classroom!
“The dark cloud that was my future has lifted. My future is brighter than ever before. The classes opened my eyes up to bigger possibilities. Things I never knew were possible for me to know, are now engrained in my mind. Now I can use it in my own life or share it with others in need. It fills the void in my soul that used to lead me to doing the wrong thing. The caring nature of the people that work for Lion Life is a difference maker.” -Nick, a student
"I truly believe that education has the ability to bring Light even to the darkest corridors. "
— Brody Smithwick, Founder
