Former inmate returns to jail offering job training to incarcerated men
For much of his life, Bukwon Holland’s greatest fear was reading aloud. “Growing up in Philly in the ‘70s and ‘80s, most people my age worried about stray bullets, getting robbed, getting jumped. Mine was reading aloud,” Holland said. “Back then, you used to get whupped in school. So I got whupped, I got in trouble all my life, because I was not reading aloud.”
In his adult life, he had overcome bladder cancer, a felony conviction and a two-year stint at Stillwater Prison, but his biggest childhood fear stayed with him. “Until one day, June 21, 2021, after overcoming cancer and COVID at the same time, I got over the fear of reading aloud.”
On that day, Holland was in the midst of a Zoom training session for a job with Xfinity. It was 11 weeks of training with 20 people in the class. “I skated eight weeks without reading aloud like everybody else did. I was like, ‘good, I ain’t never gonna have to read,’ until that one day, he [the instructor] said, ‘hey, Bukwon, do you mind taking that next line?’ I said, nope, that’s against my religion,” Holland said, laughing.
Another woman in the training, Amber, helped to cure him of his fears by making him feel safe. “She said, ‘Hey, buddy, this is a safe zone. You’re gonna be alright. One, two, three, GO.’ And I read the lines.”
After that, Holland started to practice reading aloud. Amber, his friend from class, had suggested he read aloud what has become one of his favorite books, “The Five Love Languages,” by Gary Chapman. In reading the book, Holland discovered his top love languages included “Words of Affirmation” and “Quality Time.” He said the book helped him to learn more about himself and the important relationships he has in his life.
After conquering his “reading aloud” fear, Holland went on to get a vocal coach and an agent, and soon began booking voiceover gigs. He ended up finding his current job as an admissions representative at Summit Academy OIC partly due to one of his radio voiceover gigs at KMOJ (89.9 FM). He was the voice of KMOJ promos for Summit, an accredited jobs training institute, and he began to wonder whether he should consider working there. He had received a scholarship for training as a carpenter at Summit about 10 years before, and had gotten a carpentry job before he even finished the program. So he reached out to the school and began making inquiries.
Later, a Summit Academy manager searched for Holland online, found him on TikTok and contacted him for an interview. He was hired in August. About a month into the job, Summit had scheduled a recruiting event at the Scott County jail in Shakopee, and Holland was expected to attend. Holland said initially he had balked at the thought of traveling out to the jail. Because of his own experience with the prison system, he was reluctant. “I did not want to go, I was like ‘you’re gonna have to fire me.’ “But he talked to his mentor, friends and family members, and they all agreed it could be good for him.
“I had to be there [at Scott County Jail] at 8:30; I was there at 8:29 a.m.,” Holland said. He said he had a headache and some trepidation. “But I got there, and there was a different feel. I didn’t have the same nerves when I walked into prison before…. They [the prison officials] treated me good, they told me what to expect.” The Summit Academy recruiting team had their staging area in an unused cell block. Over the course of a few hours, they met with three sets of inmates, introducing them to the school’s GED and training programs.
Holland said that the electrical and carpentry industries are considered more felon-friendly than other industries, so they focused on those programs while at the jail. “If you’re looking for a way to change your life with no out of pocket costs,” then Summit Academy programs can help you, Holland said.
Holland recalled a conversation he had with one female inmate at the jail. He told her, “you can be anything you want.”
“But I have a felony,” she said.
“So do I,” he answered.
Words of encouragement, one of Holland’s top love languages, are important to him, in life and at his position at Summit Academy. He likes to say that if you “have an ounce of confidence,” you’ll build on that if you apply yourself at one of Summit’s programs.
“I make it my business to stop and talk to students now, especially those ones who’ve got their heads hung low. We don’t know what they go through, but if they know somebody cares, they’ll do better,” he said.
Prospective students can meet Holland and other Summit representatives at an Open House on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 3 to 5 p.m. at 935 Olson Memorial Highway in Minneapolis.
The Open House includes:
● Hands-on demonstrations from instructors
● Breakout sessions for Construction, IT Specialist, Medical Administrative Assistant and Financial Services
● Detailed information on the admissions process
● Meet Student Advising and Career services team members
● Tours and demonstrations
Summit offers a 20-week Information Technology, Construction, Financial Services, and Healthcare accredited training courses as well as a 10-week GED program. They also offer a 6-week Food Manufacturing customized training course.
Those who attend will learn how to gain skills needed to land a career in the field of your choice, obtain your GED and more. There’s free on-site parking; complimentary snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Register for the October 17 Open House here and contact admissions@saoic.org or call 612-377-0150 with any questions.