OUR TEAM

Molly is a former middle school English teacher and current higher education leader. With a Doctorate of Education from George Washington University Molly has taught courses in curriculum development, teacher education, and foundations of education since 2000. She was instrumental in designing the first middle school major in the state of Maryland. Molly has also received training in restorative practices and community circles and is now most interested in how stories of formerly incarcerated people can help teachers, teacher educators, and school administrators ensure success for all students in America’s schools. 

Thaisan was raised in Long Beach, California. He struggled in school, succumbed to peer pressure and joined a gang. At a young age he began to engage in criminal activity that eventually results incarceration with a sentence of life without parole. But Thaisan was determined to become a better person. While incarcerated, he enrolled in all the training and rehabilitation programs available and eventually earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Communication from California State University at Los Angeles. Thanks to his dedication to the right path, his sentence was commuted, and he was released in 2020. Thaisan’s mission now is to help others make the right choices in life, and he hopes to use his story as an example. He wants to use his story to help kids like him make the right decisions. 

Dara is an inspiring man with a powerful story of transformation and resilience. Raised in Long Beach, California, Dara experienced bullying as a child, made poor decisions leading to dropping out of school in 9th grade, and eventually to prison. In prison, he found his passion for training dogs and enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program with California State University at Los Angeles. With the help of the Paws for Prisoners program and guidance from Thaisan, Dara achieved his goal and was released in 2022. He is now committed to helping others with similar backgrounds break the cycle of poverty and incarceration.