On Monday, April 28th, 2025—at the close of Second Chance Month—Tennessee Higher Education Initiative (THEI) welcomed supporters, partners, alumni, and friends to our third annual Path Forward Luncheon at Belmont University in Nashville. The afternoon was a powerful reflection of what is possible when justice-impacted scholars are met not with barriers, but with opportunity, support, and belief in their potential. Second Chance Month is a time to recognize the importance of removing obstacles for people returning home from incarceration and to uplift the stories of those who have built new paths forward. For THEI, whose mission is to disrupt systems of harm and create opportunities for autonomy and success through education, advocacy, and holistic reentry support, this work continues long after April ends.
Thanks to the generosity of our event sponsors—including Belmont University, The Schooner Foundation, Wellpoint, the Doochin Family Trust, CoreCivic Foundation, The Maynard Group, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Ascendium, Dr. Marcia Millet, Dr. Sharon Gentry, Steve & Sharon Powell, One Community Presented by the Tennessee Titans Foundation, HCA Healthcare, and Urban League of Middle Tennessee—and the support of our community of donors, we raised over $175,000 to directly sustain and grow THEI’s programs.
The theme of this year’s luncheon was the “P.A.T.H.” — an acronym brought to life by four powerful alumni voices:
The event was opened by THEI Executive Director Dr. Laura Ferguson Mimms and Board Chair Jared Campbell, a THEI alumnus himself, whose own journey reflects the possibilities of access and support. Their words grounded the afternoon in THEI’s core values: our work is relational, connected, transformative, culture & community focused, and excellent.
The Path Forward Luncheon may be our largest annual event, but our work doesn’t stop at the luncheon doors. Every day, THEI is:
Supporting students across associates and bachelor degree programs inside six facilities, ensuring access to high-quality college courses.
Connecting students and alumni to housing, mental health resources, employment opportunities, and family reunification support.
Equipping incarcerated scholars with accessible, student-centered resources through projects like Navigating Forward.
Driving state and national conversations about the future of higher education in prison.
And we can’t do any of it without you.
Our community—donors, sponsors, partners, alumni, and advocates—understands just how vital this work is. Your belief fuels our ability to keep showing up, keep expanding what’s possible, and keep walking alongside students as they pursue lives full of purpose, joy, and opportunity.
Thank you for being part of the path forward.
Scroll through photos from the event below!
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