Fifteen years ago, George Chochos peered out of the window of his cell at Sing Sing Prison in New York and reflected on his life. On May 25, 2016, Chochos ’16 M.Div. collected his Yale Divinity School degree and one of the school’s top honors—the Wolcott Calkins Prize for “excellence in clear and vigorous pulpit speaking.”
Chochos plans to continue his studies at YDS next year in pursuit of a master’s degree in sacred theology before moving onto a Ph.D. program.
In this first-person account for Yale News, Chochos reflects on his remarkable educational journey and his hope that other current and ex-prisoners can access education programs and forge productive lives after incarceration.
Read more on George Chochos ’16 M.Div.
- An educational journey that began in prison leads to jubilation at Yale, Yale News, May 24, 2016
- Interview on Bard Prison Initiative, Tavis Smiley Show, March 3, 2016
- George Chochos: Returning Citizen—Not ‘Ex-Offender’—Thrives At YDS, Yale Divinity School, March 2015
- Earning a College Degree in Prison Gives Ex-Offenders a Chance, WNPR, July 1, 2015
- Yale Divinity School Student Talks About Life Behind Bars, WNPR, November 3, 2015
Related Story: Pennington, prophetic vision, and 150 happy grads at YDS Commencement 2016