Everyone would do well to heed the worlds of Socrates, who allegedly said “The unexamined life is not worth living” at his trial for impiety and corrupting youth. And “everyone” includes people behind bars who are rarely encouraged to engage in honest self-reflection. Moreover, it’s even rarer for prisoners to be able to share their self-reflections with a caring individual on the outside. 

A new course offered by College Guild, an organization based in Brunswick, fills these needs. The six-unit course, entitled What’s on Your Mind?, gives prisoners the opportunity to examine their own lives and preconceptions while learning basic principles of psychology. 

“What’s on Your Mind?” is just one of the 30 noncredit correspondence courses offered by College Guild to prisoners around the country. Volunteer readers read and respond individually to each prisoner’s submission. College Guild receives scores of letters of appreciation from prisoners every year, expressing deep thanks for being heard and respected. 

This new course was created by Julie Coticchin, an extraordinary Bowdoin College junior from Cleveland, Ohio. Julie spent the summer at College Guild, thanks to an internship funded by Bowdoin. In addition to creating this course, Julie worked alongside College Guild’s founder Julie Zimmerman to revise the courses on Religion and Health. She also helped prepare the art show for the upcoming College Guild breakfast fundraiser referred to at the end of this piece. “Julie Coticchin accomplished a lot over the summer,” says Zimmerman, “and she was wonderful to work with.” 

“I’ve always been interested in the area of mental health,” says Julie Cottichin, “as there have been some mental health issues in my own family. Through my courses, I’m also very aware that prisoners are disproportionately affected with mental health issues.” 

Julie’s passionate commitment to serving the community extends well beyond her work with College Guild. She has served as a Peer Health Counselor on campus and volunteered at the Brunswick Area Teen Center. 

Julie’s summer internship, which also included a visit to the Maine State Prison in Warren, has helped her crystallize her career plans. After graduating in 2021, she hopes to work for a few years as a researcher in the heath professions field and eventually pursue a degree in counseling psychology. She may one day find herself working in the field of criminal justice. 

In a world rocked by chaos and filled with darkness, it’s so inspiring to meet young people like Julie Coticchin who are doing their part to light the darkness. 

On a personal note, I have had the honor of serving as a College Guild reader for the last eight years. I encourage people interested in learning more about College Guild to go to collegeuild.org. Also, College Guild will be sponsoring a breakfast/fundraiser at Curtis Memorial Library from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15. 

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.