Daniel Geiter knows what it means to be on the other side of the law. Describing the man of his former life as “a really good thief,” Geiter used his strong will, purpose, and education as a means to change his life for the better, and pay it all forward.

From the age of 19, up until 25, Geiter was a repeat offender. Last paroled in 1999, over the past few years, he has seen the inside of a jail cell 20 plus times. Now, Geiter plans never to be on the other side of those bars again. A recent graduate of Benedictine University, where he earned his doctoral degree in education, after earning first his bachelor’s at St Xavier, and his masters degree from the University of Chicago, Geiter will soon be turning a warehouse on the south side of Chicago into a non-profit community college.

Ward College will be launching 176 days from today. His website, dedicated to the cause will tell you all about the initiative, all the while giving you the chance to help him give back.

“Forty percent of our students will be former offenders or current offenders from either Cook County or Illinois Department of Corrections,” says Geiter. Being a former offender himself, Geiter says, “I want to be able to give back like those individuals gave to me.”

Ward College plans on opening up in August of this year, in the hopes of raising around $250,000 to get the school up and running.

This man deserves a round of applause.

Photo: giphy
Photo: giphy

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