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Tommy Moore came out of prison in 2009 chasing a bachelor’s degree without a car and 12 miles of road between him and Lake Sumter Community College. He pedaled. Every. Single. Day. Now he has a Ph.D. and teaches incarcerated students in the UPWARD program what got him there.

“My mission and my vision in life is giving hope to the hopeless by letting people know their past doesn’t have to define their future,” Moore said.

Those words come from experience.

Moore grew up in Orlando, Florida, and spent nine years in a Florida prison after he was convicted of a felony. Once he was released, he had to figure out how he was going to stay out of prison.

“One of the things I found in my research was that education had a statistical, significant effect on staying out,” said Moore. “The research also showed that every degree you went up, the statistical probability of going back went down.”

Moore rode his bike to earn his associate’s degree in business at Lake Sumter. He then rode city busses over five hours to attend the University of Central Florida to earn his bachelor’s degree.

Somewhere in the faded upholstery, Moore found a passion for business education. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in business administration in 2020.

“One of the things I teach my students is I’ve sat where they’ve sat,” he explained. “I’ve also found success on the outside, and where I found that success was through entrepreneurship.”

An entrepreneur for almost 20 years, Moore started and sold three businesses and currently owns one in Florida. His companies have ranged from a real estate company with his father to a counseling service to a bakery. Now he teaches what he learned as an entrepreneur to incarcerated students to show them what is possible.

“I teach from a standpoint of theory as a Ph.D. doctor, but also from a standpoint of practice,” Moore said. “What really takes it from the drawing board to the street.”

In 2022, Moore relocated his family to Nebraska while his wife pursued her graduate degree. He began teaching with RISE, an organization that teaches inside prisons and helps people with re-entry. Before long he noticed Southeast Community College was also present inside and began teaching for UPWARD as well.

Moore estimates he spends close to 60 hours a week with students. He believes the regularity of classes helps them build a foundation that can help them stay on a better path once they are released. His experience being incarcerated helps him relate to the UPWARD students.

“What I try to tell them is this is a season. How you use this season will determine how long the season can last,” said Moore. “I’ve had residents come up to me and say ‘You’ve changed my life.’”

The UPWARD program was designed to help incarcerated people get an education to help them rejoin society and be successful. When people like Moore spend time with these students and help them find opportunities, it strengthens our communities.

“I think one of the great things about SCC is it’s a school that doesn’t just say they give second chances, but they show it,” Moore said. “There are a lot of people out there that say they’re second chance friendly, but nobody on their payroll has been incarcerated. SCC is not that. There are many faculty, administrators, and staff that are just as impacted. I think SCC walks the walk.”

Damon Bennett
Activities Information Director
402-437-2077
dbennett@southeast.edu