Edin Madrid is a transfer student pursuing a Sociology major with a Chicana/o and Central American Studies minor. As a Non-Traditional, Parenting, Undocumented, Formerly Incarcerated, and First-Generation student at UCLA, his unique experiences have given him a valuable perspective on the importance of diversity within academia. Having faced and overcome challenges within the criminal justice system, Edin is a testament to the transformative power of education. His journey has fueled a passion for tearing down barriers to education and reintegration. As a Mellon Mays Fellow, he will conduct a research project under the guidance of a faculty member and his research community. Leveraging his lived experience, he aims to collect oral histories that explore and shed light on how incarceration affects single mothers, with a focus on Latinx single mothers in the Central Los Angeles area. By lifting up the voices of often-forgotten single mothers, he hopes to positively impact his community and, one day, influence public policy.