Images by Steve Toepp.
WESTVILLE, Ind. — Inside the gymnasium at the Westville Correctional Facility on May 11, tears were shed as graduates in caps and gowns crossed the stage surrounded by classmates, faculty, prison staff, family members, and supporters.
The commencement ceremony for Holy Cross College’s Moreau College Initiative (MCI) was the culmination of years of hard work by the students, who enrolled in the Holy Cross program to receive either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
The Moreau College Initiative is taught by Holy Cross professors alongside those from the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s College, in partnership with the Indiana Department of Correction. It provides incarcerated students at Westville with the opportunity to pursue a rigorous liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition.
Students delivered emotional testimonies throughout the ceremony, showing gratitude to the College and its founding in the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Holy Cross College President Dr. Marco J. Clark, who delivered a closing address, framed the moment as one of profound hope and human dignity.
“Today, we gather to celebrate something extraordinary—not simply the completion of courses, but the transformation of lives,” President Clark told graduates. “Each of you represents perseverance, courage, and hope—signs of redemption, reconciliation, and resurrection.”
Throughout the ceremony, current MCI students shared their wisdom and talent, with the MCI’s gospel choir performing two songs.
“Liberty may be found in education,” graduate Clarence Sandifer said during his remarks. “My mind was liberated as I discovered purpose in my potential.”
President Clark thanked faculty, prison leadership, and supporters of the initiative, while also emphasizing the deeper mission of Holy Cross education.
“As the Constitutions remind us: ‘We shall always place education side by side with instruction; the mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart,’” he said. “You have formed not only scholars, but whole persons—good human beings, courageous citizens, and hopeful disciples.”
The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Max Kenner, founder and executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative, where he also holds the Tow Chair for Democracy and Education. The Bard Prison Initiative enrolls incarcerated women and men in rigorous academic programs culminating in degrees from Bard College. During his remarks, Kenner delivered a rousing and affirming message that celebrated the dignity, intellect, and potential of each graduate while also praising Holy Cross College’s leadership and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals.
The address drew heavily from the spiritual and educational tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross, challenging graduates to see themselves not through the lens of their past, but through their capacity for growth, leadership, and purpose.
President Clark also called graduates to move forward as “witnesses to hope,” reminding them that redemption is not theoretical, but lived.
“Redemption is not just something taught—it is something you embody,” he said.
The ceremony also reflected the continued growth and impact of the Moreau College Initiative, which has become a nationally recognized model for Catholic prison education rooted in human dignity, accompaniment, and academic rigor.
“No life is beyond transformation,” President Clark said during the address. “No past defines the limits of what God can do.”
See more images by Steve Toepp from the Moreau College Initiative Commencement below.
