Syrita Steib was incarcerated at the age of 19. After 10 years in prison, she was released to a different world and community than she remembered.

Although Syrita achieved significant academic success during her incarceration, her initial application to the University of New Orleans was rejected after she disclosed her criminal record. Undeterred, she applied again two years later—this time omitting that part of her past—and was accepted.

Syrita not only earned her degree but also became a nationally certified and licensed clinical laboratory scientist. Still, she recognized a deeper calling: to challenge and transform the systems that had long excluded justice-impacted individuals, especially women like herself.