Testimonials
“Through Transforming Lives I’ve found the courage to face myself. To look at my choices, and I firmly believe that every choice I’ve made has led to today. It is no longer about the person I was as much as it is about the person I am becoming…”
Enric Devers
“Transforming Lives is priceless.”
Tony Windley
“…Transforming Lives was a place of refuge for the intangible dreams that I had as an incarcerated writer… You all have provided me with a sanctuary in the darkest hours of my life, and for that you all will forever be a part of me.”
Jamel Brown
“Transforming Lives made me realize that I'm not a prisoner who has the ability to write; I'm a writer imprisoned. TL freed my writing from inside a place where no one wants to be and gave it to the world. Shout-out to TL for helping me believe in myself by believing in my work.”
Alkim Mills
“I can say in a literal and practical sense that my life has been transformed by Transforming Lives. It started of course with my mentor Paula. She began with a basic personal story about her life. I began with one of mine. With caring interest and her natural journalistic curiosity she asked me to write a story about a portion of my life. The more we corresponded the more open I became. I felt seen. I felt as if my words were safe. I was able to come to terms with the bad decisions I have made. Through this mentorship, unbeknownst to us, I was being prepared for something-- for a transformation. We knew we were apart of this program(TL) but I know Paula did not come into this saying she was going to transform me. In fact none of the mentors do. It is simply a process of discovery we are all apart of. None of the mentors know what to expect reaching out to someone in prison(even for murder). But as a result of our process good fruit began to bare. I was once afraid to come to terms with the wrong decisions I have had made. Paula made me feel that I was not alone. I was no longer afraid. She made me feel that I could walk in my truth and that she would be there no matter what. I was born again through a pen and she was the mother hand that gave birth to me-- a transformed me."
Joseph Striplin
“Transforming Lives played a major role in my self-rehabilitation and confidence as a writer. During my academic career I shared the benefits of Transforming Lives with my cohorts. By journaling, and communicating with my mentor I gained a better understanding of the effectiveness of being a writer. Writing is a process that allows creativity to progress. Every phrase, sentence and word that finds itself on a piece of paper has already been formulated somewhere deep in the subconscious mind. I learned from Un, a member of my cohort, that writing is the means by which thought escapes its astral form, to solidify in the material plane of life and form sound concepts of logic and reason. That itself is transformative and life changing.”
Lamarr Little
“Navigating parenthood within prison walls presented immense challenges for me, yet amidst constraints, I found an unwavering desire to play a greater role in my son’s life. Upon embracing the transformative journey with great mentors through Transforming Lives, I discovered a family that not only honed my writing skills but, more profoundly, continues to support me and my ability to be there for my son. TL support played a pivotal role in his acceptance to Baruch College, filling my heart with gratitude and inspiration.
Hector Rodriguez
