"Gateway" is a podcast from Colorado Radio for Justice.
For 20 years, a little-known program at Red Rocks Community College has been quietly changing lives. It’s called College Gateway, and it offers higher ed opportunities for people directly impacted by the criminal-legal system. Students get free from prison and jail, and they come to College Gateway, where they build a path forward on their reentry journey.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
"Gateway" answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
"Gateway" includes the following episodes:
1. Taking Off the Mask
2. For All the Marbles
3. A Search for Meaning
4. Beyond the Gates
The team behind "Gateway" includes:
Hosts, producers, and writers: Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Music: Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Graphic design: Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent: Trevor Jones
Executive Producer: Ryan Conarro
"Gateway" is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
In this episode, Seth and Lucy are joined by Dr. Neil Gowensmith. Dr. Gowensmith is a professor of Forensic Psychology in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. In 2014, he conducted a study to measure the outcomes of College Gateway graduates. Specifically, he looked at their quality of life and behavioral changes post-graduation. Tune in to discover what that study yielded and the recipe for the "special sauce" that helps Gateway do the work.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
The team behind Gateway:
Hosted, produced, and written by Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Original music produced by Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Edited by Ringo Joon and Lucy Richardson
Mastered by Tongjai Lee
Graphic design by Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent by Trevor Jones
Executive Produced by Ryan Conarro
Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway (https://www.rrcc.edu/gateway).
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here (https://www.radioforjustice.org/).
19 Jun 2026
For All the Marbles
In this episode, you'll get a closer look at one student's journey through the Gateway courses. Brandon McAllister shares his experience navigating re-entry, and how Gateway created a stepping stone for him to pursue his entrepreneurial goals. Then, you'll get to know Dr. Neil Gowensmith a bit better. He's here to give some broader context for academic programs designed for folks affected by the system.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
The team behind Gateway:
Hosted, produced, and written by Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Original music produced by Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Edited by Ringo Joon and Lucy Richardson
Mastered by Tongjai Lee
Graphic design by Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent by Trevor Jones
Executive Produced by Ryan Conarro
Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway (https://www.rrcc.edu/gateway).
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here (https://www.radioforjustice.org/).
12 Jun 2026
A Search for Meaning
In this episode, you'll take a seat inside a College Gateway classroom at Red Rocks Community College. There, you'll learn about curriculum design from a current Gateway business faculty member Stephanie Schooley, and you'll see how Gateway's impact lasts beyond the program's completion. Tune in to hear conversations with the current Gateway student cohort as well as Gateway graduate Ira Miner, as they paint a more personal perspective of the inner workings of the Gateway journey.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
This podcast, Gateway, answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
The team behind Gateway:
Hosted, produced, and written by Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Original music produced by Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Edited by Lucy Richardson
Mastered by Tongjai Lee
Graphic design by Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent by Trevor Jones
Executive Produced by Ryan Conarro
Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway (https://www.rrcc.edu/gateway).
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here (https://www.radioforjustice.org/).
5 Jun 2026
Taking Off the Mask
In this episode, you'll learn about the people behind College Gateway, the three-part higher education program for students affected by the criminal-legal system, located at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado: who designed it, who's in the classroom, and who can succeed with its teachings. Join hosts Seth Ready and Lucy Richardson as they interview College Gateway founder and coordinator Cathy Lachman, along with a classroom full of Gateway students, to explore what this transformative program looks like from the inside.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
The team behind Gateway:
Hosted, produced, and written by Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Original music produced by Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Edited by Lucy Richardson
Mastered by Tongjai Lee
Graphic design by Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent by Trevor Jones
Executive Produced by Ryan Conarro
Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway (https://www.rrcc.edu/gateway).
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here (https://www.radioforjustice.org/).
29 May 2026
This is Gateway
Gateway is a podcast from Colorado Radio for Justice.
For 20 years, a little-known program at Red Rocks Community College has been quietly changing lives. It’s called College Gateway, and it offers higher ed opportunities for people directly impacted by the criminal-legal system. Students get free from prison and jail, and they come to College Gateway, where they build a path forward on their reentry journey.
What makes Red Rocks Community College’s Gateway work? What barriers has it overcome? And what can it teach listeners across the U.S. about the role of colleges and universities in creating second chances?
Gateway answers these questions, uplifting the voices of the program’s students, educators, administrators, and advocates. Through their stories, we explore how education can be a bridge to stability, opportunity, and belonging.
Gateway includes the following episodes:
Taking Off the Mask
For All the Marbles
A Search for Meaning
Beyond the Gates
The team behind Gateway includes:
Hosts, producers, and writers: Seth Ready & Lucy Richardson
Music: Carlos "Carlitos" Perez, Ira Miner, & Lucy Richardson
Graphic design: Benjamin Greaves
Voice talent: Trevor Jones
Executive Producer: Ryan Conarro
Gateway is a production of Colorado Radio for Justice, in partnership with Red Rocks Community College.
Learn more about College Gateway at www.rrcc.edu/gateway (https://www.rrcc.edu/gateway).
Hear and watch more from Colorado Radio for Justice here (https://www.radioforjustice.org/).
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