Justice Fellows Cohort 3
Mirvais “Mir” Aminy
Justice Fellow
As a first-generation Afghan American, Mir is deeply committed to advancing accessibility to higher education, particularly for underserved communities…
Barbi Brown
Justice Fellow
Barbi joined the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) in 2020 and is currently serving as the director of policy…
Vanessa Garrett
Justice Fellow
Vanessa's field of work centers on providing unwavering support to currently and formerly incarcerated pregnant women. Drawing from over…
Roderick Jackson
Justice Fellow
Roderick is currently pursuing a bachelor’s in finance and general business, and believes that understanding the intricacies of financial…
Adam Lay
Justice Fellow
Adam’s mission is to reduce barriers to education and employment for formerly incarcerated individuals; he discovered this passion and…
Spencer McCray
Justice Fellow
Spencer McCray is a youth advocate, public speaker, and program leader for the Center for Justice-Impacted Students at Middlesex…
Arianna Mellinger
Justice Fellow
Arianna works for a local mental health authority and provides substance use counseling services in Longview, Texas. She has…
Andre Sorrell
Justice Fellow
Andre is a devoted husband, father, workforce development coordinator, minister, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and public servant. With a heart dedicated…
Justice Fellows Cohort 2
Kittrell Bernard Decator
Kittrell Bernard Decator knows the promise of a second chance. After serving 26 years of a 52-year sentence in…
Maria Garza
Maria Garza is a restorative justice practitioner, activist, and prison reform advocate, who began fighting for improvements to the…
Kareemah Hanifa
Kareemah Hanifa is a Muslim native from Charleston, South Carolina, but spent most of her life in the state…
Dolfinette Martin
Dolfinette Martin is a native New Orleanian, a strong community leader, and fierce advocate of safe, affordable housing for…
Antonio Reza
In 2012, Antonio Reza was convicted of a violent felony. Upon release from prison, he was determined not to…
Quinton Reynolds
Quinton Reynolds is a student at Georgia State University, where he is a business major with a concentration in…
Shannon Ross
Shannon Ross is the founder and executive director of The Community, which employs deep in-reach and outreach to help…
Nikcole Whipple
Nikcole Whipple is an enrolled member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, located in Mendocino County in Northern California.…
Justice Fellows Inaugural Cohort
Ed Trust recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of our inaugural cohort of Justice Fellows from 2021-22. These eight fellows comprise a vibrant and nurturing community of directly impacted, formerly incarcerated individuals who have overcome the odds and attained their bachelor’s or master’s degree, created programs and organizations for the formerly incarcerated community engaged in state legislative advocacy efforts, and more. Together, they helped Ed Trust set the blueprint of what this fellowship represents and what people can truly accomplish when given a second chance.
Omari Amili
Frelimo "Omari" Amili is a father of six and program manager with a Seattle-based nonprofit called Choose 180. Following…
Mary Baxter
Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, also known by her hip-hop name, “Isis Tha Saviour,” is an award-winning Philadelphia-based artist who…
Montrell Carmouche
At the age of 21, Montrell was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison. During their 20-year incarceration, Montrell…
William Freeman III
Manager of Higher Education Justice Initiative
William leads and manages the Justice Policy Fellowship, where he works with the policy team to provide an equity…
Alexa Garza
Higher Education Justice Initiatives Analyst/Texas Policy Analyst
Alexa Garza, an alumna of EdTrust’s inaugural Justice Fellows Policy Program, is responsible for assisting with the day-to-day tasks…
Rabia Qutab
Rabia’s life experience has transformed a perceived liability into an asset. As a formerly incarcerated young woman of color,…
Patrick Rodriguez
Patrick was released from prison in December 2019, and since then, he has worked to serve those who have…
Jarrod Wall
During his 26 years of incarceration, Jarrod earned several degrees (AA, BA, BS, MA) and had the privilege to…