Why Barbi does this work...

I do this work because, as a HEP student, I have felt the impact of others who began this work before me.  When HEP is done well, it is an avenue for success, autonomy, and community.  I am privileged to be able to participate in the lives of our students in a way that helps to facilitate a wide array of growth and expanding opportunities.  The HEP community is a critical part of my personal story and I couldn’t imagine being on the outside of this circle.

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Barbi Brown joined the THEI Team in the role of Re-Entry Coordinator in 2020.  She works closely with THEI students as well as our community partners to build a bridge of successful transition for students who are returning to the community post incarceration. Barbi brings with her a Bachelor Degree in Professional Studies from Lipscomb University as well as a deeply rooted passion for perpetuating the success and growth of higher education within prison. She is actively engaged in diminishing cultural and systemic barriers faced by the formerly incarcerated individuals within our community. Prior to coming to THEI, Barbi gained a plethora of experience navigating our justice system and incarceration paradigm and uses this knowledge in service to those leaving these systems.

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