Everyone deserves a second chance
About
Scholarship
COntact
Join Us for a Special Q&A Today!
So many of you asked questions so WE DOING A Q&A Y’ALL!
We’re awarding $80,000 in scholarships to women nationwide!
Join us over on Instagram Live at @ thurmanperryfoundation on 11/19 @ 6PM EST
Congratulations to our 2024 Scholars!
Our newest class of awardees received the largest individual awards we have given to date and join a myriad of women from all fields of study and walks of life who are determined to make a difference.
PSCS winners are a unique cohort of women around the United States, who have been given the charge to change the world through their pursuit of higher education.
The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship thanks The Last Mile for partnering with us for the 2024-2025 scholarship cycle, and matching our intended award amount to double the number of scholarships available this year!
The Last Mile’s mission is to provide opportunities for personal and professional growth for justice-impacted individuals through education and technology training.
Founded by Chris Redlitz and his wife and business partner Beverly Parenti, The organization began at San Quentin then evolved into The Last Mile, whose name reflects the mission of going the distance to empower incarcerated people to excel following their release. TLM’s technical education and training stops the cycle of incarceration, reduces recidivism, lowers the level of taxpayer money spent on incarceration, and produces exceptional employees. The Last Mile Website
About Chris Redlitz and Beverly Parenti, Founders of The Last Mile
Chris Redlitz is the Managing Partner of Transmedia Capital, one of the best-performing micro funds in Silicon Valley, focused on early-stage digital media and commerce platforms. Chris has worked with many aspiring entrepreneurs through KickLabs, one of the country’s leading technology accelerators he co-founded in 2009. He received Ad Age’s prestigious i20 award for his contributions to the development of interactive marketing and advertising. Earlier in his career, Chris was part of Reebok’s explosive growth where he held positions in sales and marketing and also owned one of the first specialty sports retail chains in Southern California. For over twenty years, Chris was a distance runner completing marathons and ultra marathons. Today he is an avid cyclist and health advocate.
Beverly Parenti is a serial entrepreneur, specializing in the advancement of innovative technologies. Along with longtime business partner and husband, Chris Redlitz, she launched their nonprofit, The Last Mile (TLM) in 2010 at San Quentin State Prison. The goal of TLM is to provide education and training inside prison, resulting in gainful employment for returned citizen graduates, thereby reducing recidivism. TLM has become one of the most requested prison education programs in the United States. It is the first program to offer a computer programming curriculum that teaches men and women to become software engineers. All TLM “Returned Citizen Graduates” are prospering personally and professionally with 0% recidivism.
Gabrielle Perry, MPH founded The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship Award in honor of her late father, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Thurman Perry Jr., to help women and girls impacted by incarceration pursue higher education and change their lives. It is the flagship program of The Thurman Perry Foundation.
The Scholarship Cycle is NOW OPEN! PSCS is accepting online applications until February 27, 2025 11:59PM PST.
Any inquiries may be directed to scholarship@theperryscholarship.org
The Facts
Mass incarceration in the United States uniquely impacts women and girls. The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship has a vested interest in illuminating the facts related to how the current criminal justice system affects women and girls in prisons and jails throughout our nation.
Meet Our PSCS Awardees!
Congratulations to our 2024 awardees!
The winners of this year’s application round received one-time $4,000 scholarships to assist them with their matriculation at a 2-to-4 year accredited college, vocational school, or university.
In memory of U.S. Army Master Sergeant Thurman Perry Jr., The Perry ‘Second Chances’ Scholarship started with one goal in mind: to support those striving to better themselves and pursue higher education despite their pasts. We are recognized as a subsidiary program of The Thurman Perry Foundation, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization. EIN 86-2519876.
