University of Baltimore Student Chris Wilson, Author of The Master Plan, Announces Scholarship Fund for Students in UB's Second Chance Program
March 29, 2019
Contact: Office of Government and Public Affairs
Phone: 410.837.5739
Chris Wilson, author, mentor, social entrepreneur and University of Baltimore student, has pledged a $10,000 scholarship dedicated to fellow students in the University's Second Chance College program. Second Chance seeks to reduce recidivism by offering opportunities for incarcerated students to earn college credit at UB. Wilson appeared at the University of Baltimore on March 26 for a talk about his new memoir, The Master Plan, the compelling story of how he turned a life sentence into a second chance.
Wilson was a member of the inaugural class of the University of Baltimore's Ratcliffe Entrepreneurship Fellows Program in the Merrick School of Business and is an advocate for the Second Chance program. After he finishes a publicity tour for The Master Plan, which has garnered a number of positive reviews, he plans to return to his alma mater in pursuit of a bachelor's degree.
During the March 26 event, Wilson announced that the new Chris Wilson Second Chance Fund will provide a total of $10,000 to be used for grants to students in the Second Chance program.
"One of the things that surprised me about being free is the power of generosity," he said, telling a story about a person who gave him money to start his own business when he was first at UB. "She told me: 'Don't pay me back, pay it forward.'"
Andrea Cantora, associate professor in the University of Baltimore's School of Criminal Justice and director of the Second Chance program, says the fund, which will go toward tuition, books, and other education costs, as well as school essentials like computers and professional clothing, is a welcome development for these students who are working hard to earn a degree and build a new life.
"Our students are coming home, little by little," Prof. Cantora said. "The ability to finish their education here on campus is our goal, and the only way we can do it is if we help support them in that process."
Marcus Lilly, a sophomore in the Human Services Administration program in the College of Public Affairs, was named the first recipient of funds from the scholarship at the conclusion of the March 26 event.
Additional support for the Second Chance Program or the Chris Wilson Second Chance Fund is currently being sought. All inquiries about these efforts should be directed to Leslie Joyce at 410.837.6217, or by visiting this page.
The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, the UB School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.