Having grown up in the suburbs of Atlanta with parents who immigrated to the United States from China as adults, I knew very little about incarceration in the United States. I knew just bits and pieces about the inequities and injustices that existed, but I knew that it was a topic I wanted to learn more about. In the fall of 2023, as an undergraduate student at Brown University, I learned of a class in the Public Health department titled “Incarceration, Disparities, and Health.” Although I thought I had an idea of the huge scope and impact of the carceral system, I had never thought about its connection to public health, a field that I was beginning to explore my interest in. I enthusiastically enrolled in the course.
Every week of that semester, I was captivated by the content of the class and repeatedly astonished by the intricacies and injustices of the criminal legal system. I particularly enjoyed the guest lectures we had, in which people from the community with various backgrounds came to speak to our class. That November, Dr. Kathy Carty and several other Phoenix Odyssey staff and graduates including Tyson Ferrara, Brandy Diaz, Marina DeAngelis, Jen Rocha, and Meghan Kennedy came to my class to speak about the Phoenix Project and about their experiences with incarceration. I was moved and inspired by their stories and by the work they were doing. Over the course of the semester, I was repeatedly struck by how many systemic barriers there were for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to succeed. I was inspired by the powerful and important work that Phoenix Odyssey does in helping people after they come home – being there to answer the phone, set up appointments, attend appointments, and simply to listen to people who have been recently released. I reached out to Kathy and asked if I could get involved.
Despite my lack of knowledge and experience in the area, Kathy graciously took a chance on me and welcomed me into Phoenix Odyssey. During my time here, I have had the privilege of participating in a number of activities – attending groups, planning and attending events, assisting with research and program evaluation, managing the website and newsletter, conducting interviews and writing articles, and meeting and learning from countless people. It has been an honor to be a part of this work, and I am so grateful to everyone I’ve met for everything they’ve shared with me.
Working at Phoenix Odyssey has been one of the defining experiences of my time in Rhode Island. I have learned so much and am endlessly grateful to Kathy Carty and everyone here for giving me this opportunity. Between our staff and our graduates, I have met such amazing people that have inspired me and taught me about the carceral system, the experiences of incarceration, Rhode Island, and the many amazing organizations in this community. They have taught me about community, resilience, gratitude, generosity, and commitment. They have shared their time and their stories with me, and I cannot put into words how much it has meant to me.
This December, I am graduating from Brown with my undergraduate degree in Applied Mathematics-Biology and Education. I will then be obtaining my Master of Public Health through Brown’s 5-year Undergraduate/Master of Public Health program. As I figure out what I’d like to do after I finish school, I’ve decided to step back from Phoenix Odyssey to explore other spaces that I am interested in. Thank you to everyone at Phoenix Odyssey, all of our graduates, and all of our other partners for giving me this experience that I will always think of fondly and carry with me. I hope to stay in touch and see everyone at future Phoenix Odyssey events!
I strongly encourage anyone who is interested to learn more about and get involved with Phoenix Odyssey!
