How we got started
Conceived by Betsye Violette and Molly Reed in the fall of 2023, Remark Navigation was created in response to the direct experiences of students in the Cornell Prison Education Program, as they returned to their communities and became workers and students on the outside. We became a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action in 2024.
Our Approach
We have seen first-hand the benefits for returning students of working closely with a small, committed team of advocates and supporters. Our approach is student-led and data-driven. Our aim is for students to set and achieve goals on their own terms, and we will offer any support we can to make this happen. We are committed to continually evaluating and improving the resources we offer, with the guidance of our board and community. Read about our highlights from our first year!
Advisory Board
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Richard Paul
Richard is a dynamic entrepreneur, community leader, and music artist dedicated to fostering positive change. As the founder of The Black House, he provides a unique event space and multimedia hub that empowers fellow entrepreneurs. A graduate of the Cornell Prison Education Program, Richard’s work focuses on violence interruption, youth counseling and mentorship, and street…
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Katie Stone
Katie is the Assistant Director of Dining Retail Operations at Ithaca College. Previously, Katie taught writing and literature for 13 years at community colleges and for a few years with the Cornell Prison Education Program while also maintaining a career in hospitality. The thread in these professional paths is a service mindset. She sees teaching…
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Tess Wheelwright
Tess is the Director of the Center for Prison Education at Wesleyan University. Previously, Tess served as associate director for the Cornell Prison Education Program, for which she also taught English and writing courses. Tess holds an MFA from Cornell University, an MSc from the University of Edinburgh, and a BA in Literature from Yale University.
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Kyri Murdough
Kyri Murdough is the program coordinator in the Center for Racial Justice and Equitable Futures at Cornell University. Before joining the Center, Kyri was a trainer & facilitator with the Racial Equity Institute, where she delivered training programs on the consequences of racial inequities using a structural lens. Prior to that, Kyri served as a Program…
Project Directors
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Betsye Violette
Like our students, Betsye’s pathway thru academia has been… tangled. Oft viewed as a series of failed events, beginning with skipping high school classes to smoke under the bridge, reading Sweet Valley High books instead of studying for the SATS, dropping out of college 5 times, trying to complete a PhD at Cornell before both…
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Molly Reed
Molly has taught writing and history courses to exceptional students in prison since 2015. After earning her doctorate in History from Cornell University in 2021, she served as an academic coordinator with CPEP for two and a half years. In this role, she served in an advisory capacity to over 60 incarcerated students as they…
Peer Leadership Initiative Facilitator
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Sarah Cushman-Johnston
Sarah is currently a Reentry Associate at the Cornell Prison Education Program where she guides reentry efforts and provides wide-ranging support to returning CPEP students. She also serves as Manager of Hepatitis C and Community Prevention Services at Trillium Health. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing and implementing community-based prevention programs aimed at…
Digital Literacy Advisor
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Thomas T. Jones
Thomas is a second-year Master’s student in Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, focusing on Human Resources & Organizations. He currently serves as a Board member for CPEP, as well as Ithaca’s Civic Ensemble. He was previously a Board member for ILR’s Graduate Student Association as Co-VP of Diversity & Inclusion. He is a…