Help Tin Nguyen Earn His MBA
Meet Tin Nguyen. His story is full of hardships, challenges, and mistakes. But it is also one of hope, resilience and transformation. He was in prison serving a Life Without Possibility of Parole sentence but during the two decades he was locked up, he decided to focus on his rehabilitation and making amends. He became a stellar dog trainer with the Paws for Life Program. And then he enrolled in the only face-to-face bachelor's degree program for incarcerated students in the state of California. He was a hard-working student who became known for always being the first to ask about earning extra credit. In fact, he worked so hard to become a better person that Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence in 2019.
It was cause for celebration, but there were setbacks, too. Instead of heading straight to the Cal State LA campus to finish his degree after his release, Tin was detained by ICE at the Adelanto Detention Center for more than 10 months. That's how Ben and Alex got to know him. They took on his case pro bono and talked to him at least once a week while they fought to get him out of there. And they did it! The LA Times even wrote about Tin and the journey that ultimately led to his freedom (link).
Not only is Tin a free man now, he's a college graduate. He finished up his BA degree in Communication summa cum laude. He's got the fancy gold chords and the diploma to prove it, too!
He's not done yet, either! He applied to Cal State LA's MBA program (once a Golden Eagle, always a Golden Eagle!) and is going to start in the Fall. But he still has some challenges and that's why we're seeking help. Because of his immigration status, he's not eligible for scholarships or financial aid and he was not able to legally work until he got his work permit. What's even worse - business school is kind of expensive! But Tin is a fighter and we're confident he'll soon have a job and the stability to keep up with his tuition.
In the meantime, he needs to register for classes by July 6th and he needs to come up with at least $7,500 for the Fall semester.
We hope you'll consider making a donation to help him stay on his path! We know he's going to make a positive difference in this world - he just needs a little help to get there. Thanks!