Dr. Samuel Arroyo is a member of IHEP’s Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Advisory Council, a select group of HEP practitioners, researchers, and advocates committed to developing a common set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess the quality and impact of postsecondary education in prison, promote robust standards of practice, and improve student outcomes.

Samuel earned his EdD in June 2016 from St. John’s Fisher College, his Master’s Degree in Social Work from Lehman College in 2010, and his Bachelor’s degree from Mercy College in 2005. He is one of Hudson Link’s only alumni to complete his degrees after his release in 2004 and says the support he received from the agency’s staff kept him motivated to continue his education.

“It’s true, education does have transformative power. Hudson Link came in and kept me going,” said Sammy, who earned a Certificate in Ministry from the New York Theological Seminary while serving his time. “I was doing some self-searching and saw the impact education had on some of the others who were incarcerated. I wanted that for myself.”

The ultimate Hudson Link success story, Sammy is now Hudson Link’s Program Director, overseeing five academic coordinators and its alumni coordinator. “I’m a perpetual student,” he says. “I would encourage the men inside to get back to school. Education is critical, especially now.”