Cal State Fullerton graduate continues his journey from prison to the Ivy League

From prison to the Ivy League, a recent Cal State Fullerton graduate may not be proud of everything in his past, but with a determination to do better, he has big plans to pay it forward.

His new path takes him to grad school at Columbia University, with hopes to one day start his own nonprofit, Camp Reese, a bootcamp-style alternative to juvenile incarceration.

Deshawn Sirajan Muneer-Hunter never dreamed he would be wearing a cap and gown at age 43. He is the sixth of eight siblings, raised in South Los Angeles by a loving mother and stepdad. He said getting caught up in drugs as a teenager ended his dream of becoming an EMT.

"I was denied, because of my criminal record," he said.

That spiraled into heavy addiction, committing his first bank robbery, and five years in federal prison. But he didn't learn a lesson; a year after his release, he committed the same crime.

"I stole things to support my drug habit," Muneer-Hunter said. He ended up spending 19 years in prison.

While in prison, he saw young convicts with sentences longer than their ages. That inspired him to want to create the Camp Reese bootcamp, to be led by people like him with lived experience.

"I remember asking the CO's for paper and envelopes, and pasting it on the wall, and draw how I wanted my organization to look," Muneer-Hunter said.

With this as his new goal, he earned two associate's degrees behind bars. "I realized that an education was my best bet," he said.

When he was finally released in October 2023, life wasn't the same. He'd lost his mother, Katie, a year prior. He was accepted into Cal State Fullerton, and was homeless, sleeping in his brother's car.

A room opened up at the school's Project Rebound men's home. "It is a support system for formerly incarcerated people once they get home, to help them navigate higher education," Steven Green, CSUF Project Rebound housing coordinator, said. He's helped dozens of former inmates adjust to student life.

Since living at the home, Muneer-Hunter has helped design and build the Oasis Deck, studied hard to make the dean's list, mentored inner-city youth, and even served as the commencement speaker at his graduation.

"I went through everything for a reason. I'm not proud of going to prison or anything like that but I'm not ashamed of it, because it has taught me a lot. It's brought out the good in me," Muneer-Hunter said.