Cohort One

Cohort One is a documentary that explores the transformative power of education. David, Kentel, and Nathan began their college journey behind bars through the Tufts University Prison Initiative of Tisch College (TUPIT).

While serving lengthy sentences (8 to 20 years) for serious crimes, they met Hilary, a Tufts faculty member teaching in Massachusetts prisons. Signing up for TUPIT’s Cohort One, a degree program that Hilary launched with support from Tufts faculty, changed the trajectory of their lives.

Upon release from prison, they joined the TUPIT community on the Tufts campus in Medford, Massachusetts. While earning a BA in civic studies, each man is putting his experience to work on issues of social justice in the Boston area. Their stories of redemption and hope illustrate the tremendous impact that access to opportunity can have.