INVC Celebrates Three College Unbound Graduates

(L-R) Edward Jones, Lydell Lofton, and Tommie Jenkins graduate with their bachelor’s degrees from College Unbound on Sunday, June 9, 2024.

It was a momentous occasion as three leaders representing the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC) graduated from College Unbound with their bachelor’s degrees on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at the Metropolitan Peace Academy in Pilsen.

INVC Reentry Specialist Edward Jones, former READI Chicago’s Outreach Worker Lydell Lofton, and Supervisor Tommie Jenkins were among the graduates celebrated during the ceremony, all from different walks of life and having faced tremendous hurdles along the way. The purpose of College Unbound is to focus on non-traditional adult learners who have faced significant barriers to attending college, by coordinating courses, field studies, and in-depth project work to help students develop field-specific knowledge and skills that encourage deep learning.

In August, there will be a larger celebration with graduates nationwide that will take place in Rhode Island where College Unbound is headquartered.

“I’ve overcome a lot this past year, but through it all, I have grown and prospered in my education and personal life,” Jones stated in his acknowledgements. “I have learned things from all the courses I have taken, and from all my instructors and fellow classmates. Thank you all, I will share what I’ve learned [with] others, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to express myself and get a degree in it. Hotep.”

Lofton noted that College Unbound “changed [his] life, his mind and, thought process on how he views himself,” while Jenkins vowed to advocate for his fellow co-workers and loved ones to get educated.

College Unbound graduates toss their caps in the air following the ceremony celebrating their accomplishments.

The ceremony included moving remarks from College Unbound’s President Adam Bush, Provost and Vice President of Lifelong Learning Sylvia Spears, Board of Trustees Chair Wendell Pritchett, and Assistant Vice President for Community and Belonging José Rodriguez, along with Metropolitan Peace Initiatives Chief Training Officer Dr. Vanessa Perry DeReef and Senior Program Officer Jimi Orange. American Library Association Executive Director Tracie Hall and the Chicago Community Trust President and CEO Andrea Sáenz also showered graduates with kind words and encouragement.

“You did something for you. You did something that will satisfy your ancestors,” Hall said. “[…] You created an expansive future where your labor can look like what you say it looks like.”

The graduates were also collectively honored with the Fighting for Justice Award, which recognizes students advocating for social justice in their communities. Presented by Rodriguez, an alumnus of College Unbound, the recognition served as a reminder that Jones, Lofton, and Jenkins are not only empowering themselves, but a community and city at large.

“I really want you to challenge yourself to not stop here,” Rodriguez said. “Today isn’t the end of the journey, it’s just the start of what’s next.”