We are so excited to announce another new team member to the Breakthrough team! Eboni joins Breakthrough as our second Program Facilitator, leading classes at Colorado State Penitentiary (CSP) and Centennial Correctional Facility (CCF). Learn more about Eboni below!
Where were you born?
Lamar, Colorado
What is your favorite color?
Pastel/light Purple!
What is your favorite food?
Tacos
What is your favorite activity to do in your free time?
Writing or listening to spoken word, Working out, being outside, and trying new food!
Are you a dog person or cat person?
Dog person, but they have to be big dogs!
What has been your favorite job so far?
This has been my favorite job thus far! It is truly a dream. Outside of this job, I really enjoyed working at the National Parks, Sand Creek National Historic Site to be exact, as their BioScience Tech. I worked alongside the maintenance team and the park interpreters to develop strategies to help maintain our existing natural habitat and avoid the invasion of non-native species. It was awesome to be outside everyday, learning about new vegetation and animal/insect migration patterns. I had the opportunity to work with some high-level pollinators, anthropologists, and historic preservation specialists.
Why did you want to help the men and women who are incarcerated here in Colorado?
As a child of an incarcerated parent, I have had to work through my own experience and trauma within the system. At a young age, I feared the criminal justice system entirely. In fact, I didn’t feel safe in my classroom, in my community, nor in my professional career to be authentically myself. It took a lot of work to better understand what was preventing me from finding closure or healing. After years of research and learning about the prison industrial complex, I finally narrowed my interest and passion points. The system lacks a relational understanding of complexities that create scenarios of violence, harm, crime, etc. If we are able to bridge these disparities that are proven to be the origin or catalyst of crime, then our country will have a better chance at preventing it collectively.
I want to help elevate the experiences of individuals impacted directly or indirectly by incarceration or mass criminalization to inform policy and structural change that will create the needed transformation and healing. I believe with more communal relationships our society will begin to shift their mindset directly to the person rather than the crime itself.
What is your favorite part of your job as a Program Facilitator?
There is a lot to love about my position at Breakthrough, but overall, I am most energized with the opportunity to influence and encourage justice-impacted individuals. Having the opportunity to create a safe learning environment for all participants and volunteers. I have found so much joy in the mere interactions amongst the organization’s team, community, and program participants. You can just feel the energy behind what we do. It is infectious and life changing.
Anything else you want to add:
In my evening hours, I serve as a virtual Counselor for Project Avary – an organization that seeks to uplift and create community with children of incarcerated parents. In addition to my role at Breakthrough, I have been able to experience a full circle moment: starting with the in-person programming inside Colorado correctional facilities, and the virtual programming with children of incarcerated parents. It has been an honor and a true healing experience to provide such holistic support in these two spaces. You can follow me on LinkedIn by using this link!