Mount Tamalpais College

10/13/2026

“We have so few chances to see beyond these prison walls. But there we were, watching four moons orbit Jupiter almost 500 million miles away.”

MTC student Charles Crowe's recent article for San Quentin News explores how volunteer faculty Andrew Westphal and Rowan Duim used hands-on observation and collaboration to bring the study of space to life inside San Quentin.

Read the article: https://sanquentinnews.com/astronomy-class-affords-residents-opportunity-to-see-outer-space/

Astronomy class affords residents opportunity to see outer space July 28, 2026 by Charles Crowe A view of the moon from San Quentin’s housing units. (San Quentin News Archive) Students of Mount Tamalpais College, San Quentin’s onsite college program, gazed through a telescope at worlds far beyon...

10/08/2026

“MTC is the first college of its type that serves incarcerated students exclusively with a tuition-free associate degree. Students do not pay for books and, unlike in the early days, they are provided a liberal supply of paper, pens, pencils, highlighters, pocket dictionaries, and calculators in math and science courses, all paid for with donations.”

In an article for San Quentin News, MTC student Charles Crowe looks back at Mount Tamalpais College’s 30-year history, reflecting on the College’s growth from offering just two courses in 1996 to an independent, accredited liberal arts college serving about 300 students each term.

Read the article to learn more: https://sanquentinnews.com/mt-tamalpais-college-celebrates-30-year-anniversary/

Mt. Tamalpais College celebrates 30-year anniversary July 1, 2026 by Charles Crowe SQ Warden Ron Broomfield stands proudly alongside Mt. Tamalpais College’s graduating class of 2022. Graduates have faced innumerable hurdles for the past two years, including on-again/off-again programming due to Co...

09/28/2026

Join Mount Tamalpais College President Jody Lewen and alumnus Leonard Rubio, Executive Director of Insight Prison Project, for a conversation on education and the carceral system.

📅 Wednesday, September 30 | 6:30–8:00 p.m.

📍 University of San Francisco | JSSJ Campus Sukkah (Welch Field)

Hosted by the University of San Francisco Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, the discussion will explore their work in higher education and programming inside California prisons, as well as the role education can play within the broader carceral system.

This event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is required.

09/24/2026

Last month, more than 50 Mount Tamalpais College alumni, faculty, and staff came together for the College’s annual Alumni Gathering.

The event was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, build new relationships, and celebrate the connections that extend beyond the classroom.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon such a warm and memorable one.

09/22/2026

From the Archives: Chemistry Behind Bars

In 2007, Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) featured a chemistry course offered through what was then the Prison University Project at San Quentin State Prison. The cover story followed students as they studied molecules, chemical bonds, and equations through demanding coursework and demonstrations led by volunteer instructors.

David Cowan, one of the students profiled (Slide 3), paroled in 2011 and is now the Executive Director of Bonafide, a reentry organization serving returning citizens statewide. We also remember alumnus Harrison Seuga, pictured in the article (Slide 2), who passed away in 2025.

09/09/2026

“Feelings Are Data. Stop Treating Them Like Orders.”

In a recent Substack essay, MTC alumnus Wayne Boatwright reflects on how emotions like anxiety, disappointment, and anger can offer useful information without determining how we respond. By pausing to understand them, he argues, we can move beyond knee-jerk reactions and make more intentional choices.

Read the article and subscribe to Wayne’s Substack: https://wayneboatwright.substack.com/p/feelings-are-data-stop-treating-them

How to interpret anxiety, disappointment, and anger without letting them drive.

09/03/2026

New from OpenLine, MTC’s student literary journal: “Rapid Fire,” a personal essay by Edwin E. Chavez.

Moving between past and present, Chavez recounts how violence during his incarceration brings back memories of surviving civil war in El Salvador as a five-year-old.

“If we wanted to survive, we needed to stay still between the concrete walls that were temporarily shielding us from the conflict. We found ourselves packed in, squeezing each other, gasping for air.”

Read the full essay: mttamcollege.edu/rapid-fire/

San Quentin News

A loud voice at High Desert State Prison cracks to life over the P.A. system. “Everyone get the f**k down, get down on the ground! Stop, stop!” Live rounds from a Mini-14 r***e are fired. Bodies stumble against each other. Utensils hit the pavement. A fresh stain of blood appears on the hot asph...

09/02/2026

For MTC students building their computer skills, Eric Roos has been a patient and dedicated source of support in the College’s Computer Lab.

In this San Quentin News article, MTC student and journalist Stuart Clarke profiles Eric’s work as the Computer Lab’s lead volunteer and the impact he has had on students. As Eric wraps up his time in this role, we thank him for his tremendous commitment to helping students develop the skills and confidence needed to pursue their academic goals.

Read the full article: https://sanquentinnews.com/volunteer-serves-mt-tam-college-students-in-computer-lab/

Photo courtesy of Marcus Casillas / San Quentin News.

Volunteer serves Mt. Tam College students in Computer Lab April 22, 2026 by Stuart Clarke Mt. Tam volunteer Eric Roos. (Photo by Marcus Casillas // SQNews) By Stuart Clarke Eric Roos volunteers his free time to serve San Quentin residents enrolled in Mount Tamalpais College. He oversees the Mt. Tam....

08/27/2026

Prior to arriving at San Quentin, Mount Tamalpais College Valedictorian Evan Aguilar had only ever participated in college correspondence courses while incarcerated. It wasn’t until he enrolled at MTC and began taking in-person classes that he felt like a real college student.

Watch Aguilar’s full Valedictorian Address to learn more about what sets MTC apart: https://www.mttamcollege.edu/2026-commencement/

Video produced by R.J. Lozada.

08/25/2026

In his new OpenLine essay, “Experience of an Unfinished Journey,” Kevin D. Sawyer reflects on how a Mount Tamalpais College journalism course renewed his plan to pursue graduate study.

Sawyer traces his path from writing for San Quentin News to his admission to UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, exploring persistence, self-determination, and the impact of in-person college education.

Read the full essay: https://www.mttamcollege.edu/experience-of-an-unfinished-journey/