Waymart Holds Essay Contest Focused on Leadership

SCI Waymart's education department recently sponsored an essay contest called "Leaders Inside and Outside." All inmates were invited to reflect on various leadership qualities and how one could model them inside as an inmate and outside as a reentrant. Participants wrote about accountability, adaptability, confidence, empathy, focus, positivity and risk-taking. Entries were judged by staff from education, treatment services and security. 

The winning essay was about adaptability: "I believe that when I leave prison, I will be able to take the tools that I have learned and share them with others on the outside. Being able to adapt to prison life has made me confident that I can adapt to a new life on the outside."

The second-place winner elaborated on focus: "During my time of incarceration, I have had an abundance of time to reflect back on my life. I am not able to clearly identify my shortcomings, failures, and lack of focus. After recognizing these personal faults, I have focused on improving myself. To this end, I have actively participated in various learning opportunities available here at SCI Waymart. I am continuing to nurture my recently rediscovered love of lifelong learning."