About the Fellowship
Choosing to pursue higher education should not be fraught with barriers. For justice-impacted individuals, the barriers are even higher. That’s why, in 2021, we started the Justice Policy Fellowship — to elevate the voices of individuals who are directly impacted by the legal system.
We select outstanding individuals from across the country who have overcome the odds and done amazing work in their communities. Throughout this yearlong fellowship, the Justice Fellows use their lived experiences to inform, review, and amplify EdTrust’s policy recommendations for justice-impacted students. Because we know that these voices have real potential to make a difference in the lives of many other justice-impacted people who want to pursue their education.
About the Advisory Board
Ed Trust has convened an advisory board of individuals with expertise in advocating for issues at the nexus of higher education policy and the criminal legal system. Ed Trust will rely on these board members for high-level guidance and advice on Ed Trust’s strategy for the Fellows program.
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Omari Amili
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Frelimo “Omari” Amili is a father of six and a program manager with Seattle-based nonprofit Choose 180.
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Mirvais “Mir” Aminy
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Mirvais “Mir” Aminy is a dedicated student affairs professional with extensive experience supporting diverse and underserved populations.
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Mary Baxter
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, writer, pedagogue, and cultural worker based in Philadelphia, PA.
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Maria Garza
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Maria Garza is a restorative justice practitioner, activist, and prison reform advocate who began fighting for improvements to the criminal legal system during her 12 years of incarceration in state prison.
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Kareemah Hanifa
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Kareemah Hanifa is a dynamic leader and advocate, deeply rooted in her faith and her commitment to creating positive change.
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Veronica Horowitz
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Veronica Horowitz, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology and criminology at the University at Buffalo.
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Roderick Jackson
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Roderick believes that understanding the intricacies of financial systems provides valuable insights into the historical roots of economic disparities.
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Dr. Shawnice Johnson
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Dr. Shawnice Johnson is a senior data analyst at a leading national non-profit and an experienced research consultant.
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Quinton Reynolds
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Quinton Reynolds is currently the founder and executive director for Game Changing Men and founder and lead consultant for Quinton Reynolds Consulting.
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Patrick Rodriguez
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Patrick Rodriguez serves as the inaugural co-executive director of the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prison.
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Shannon Ross
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Shannon Ross is the founder and executive director of The Community, which employs in-reach and outreach to help bring society and the system-impacted community exactly where they need each other to be.
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Satra D. Taylor
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Satra D. Taylor is an experienced equity advocate who leverages policy, partnerships, and research as levers for social change in higher education.
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Allan Wachendorfer
Justice Fellows Advisory Board
Allan Wachendorfer serves as the associate initiative director with the Vera Institute of Justice’s Unlocking Potential initiative, where he is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality, equitable postsecondary education programs within prisons
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