Supporting Second Chances

One hundred fifty miles from the University of Houston, a cohort of incarcerated women are pursuing their dreams of opening a business.

Just like the students in the No. 1 ranked Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship, women in central Texas apply and are accepted into the Empowering Women Out of Prison (EWOP) program. From there, the two programs cross paths, developing entrepreneurial skills while learning from each other.

At the root of the partnership, Wolff students help EWOP women conduct business research that they aren’t able to do while incarcerated. As the groups develop a rapport over the year, Wolff Program Director of Community Outreach Danna Ceron (BBA ‘20) said it’s beneficial for the students to give back to others in the same way that the Wolff Center gives to them.

“We want to teach them that it's valuable to sit down to hear someone's story and help out those who are in need,” Ceron said. “One of the reasons why we do this is to bring them closer to the community. We want students to leave here saying, ‘I received a lot, but I was also able to give back and help these ladies in the process of building a business and changing their lives.’”

For finance and entrepreneurship senior Valeria Serenil, who is the student representative that bridges the two programs together, the partnership has made her grateful for Wolff’s resources and allowed her to experience the value of second chances.

“Students don't understand how many resources you truly get from the entrepreneurship program until you're actually in it,” Serenil said. “You get so much poured into you and you want to give back. This is one of the many ways that our students in the program get to pay it forward to those in the community.”

While Wolff students take Executive Director David Cook’s “Purpose” and “Leadership” courses, EWOP women virtually sit into the classroom, and receives the same highly coveted education as the students. Participation in the course is one way the Wolff Center helps equip these women to start their own businesses after their release.

Once Wolff students are partnered with a few EWOP participants, they begin sending each other letters, sharing information about their lives and business ambitions. The week before the fall semester starts, the programs finally meet in person at the Lockhart facility.

“It’s special that we get to change all of our lives,” Serenil said. “We get to show the ladies that we believe in them. We believe in their idea, and we believe that they can have a second chance once they exit prison.”

When students graduate from the Wolff program, they often credit working with EWOP as their favorite part of the experience. Ceron said the program helps expand the students’ empathy and willingness to give their time.

“It teaches the students to understand ‘that could have happened to me’ and to put themselves in their shoes,” Ceron said. “I have students that I connect to EWOP after they graduate so they can keep that relationship and stay involved.”

The Wolff Center has worked with 400 women through the EWOP program over the years, with no recidivism.