The graduation ceremony on November 16 marked the first time a top US university awarded degrees to students in prison, Reuters reported.
The inmate education program is run by Northwestern University, in partnership with Oakton College (Illinois, USA) and the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Northwestern University ranks 9th among national universities in the United States, according to the US News & World Report Rankings .
Students excited at the graduation ceremony
Attending the graduation ceremony on November 16 were 16 individuals currently serving sentences and their relatives, according to Northwestern University's website.
"I have no words to describe it. It's like another world [...] What I've experienced and being here is indescribable," said graduate Michael Broadway after the ceremony.
Mr. Broadway achieved his degree despite many obstacles, including battling stage 4 prostate cancer.
If released early, Broadway has pledged to start a nonprofit focused on youth empowerment.
“Twenty years ago, some of them were in rival gangs, and now here they are exchanging poetry and making important commitments to social responsibility,” said Professor Jennifer Lackey, founding director of the program.
James Soto, a recent Northwestern graduate, plans to pursue a law degree. He hopes more people like him will be released soon so they can make a difference in their communities.
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