Instilling Change: Nick Findley
- Jun 26, 2020
- 2 min read
Many justice-involved individuals come to Second Chance each year with hopes of creating a better life for themselves and others around them. Through hard work and dedication to bettering himself and his surroundings, Second Chance program graduate Nick Findley has been able to successfully carve out his own path towards success as a Kansas Citian.
After spending three years incarcerated, Nick knew that he didn’t want to revert to his lifestyle of substance abuse and bouncing from job to job in St. Louis. While incarceration was not an ideal situation, it allowed Nick to focus on prior goals he set for himself which included completing his GED, becoming sober, and learning how to cut hair. Although Nick used his time incarcerated to focus on self-improvement, he knew prison was not the place for him. As well as completing his goals while incarcerated, Nick was introduced to Second Chance. Because of the connection he made with the program while incarcerated, he immediately relocated to Kansas City and attended a Job Club session to become enrolled in the program.
For Nick, reentering society in a new city hasn’t always been easy, but having a program like Second Chance has been helpful along the way. When he first transitioned to Kansas City, Nick’s biggest barriers included maintaining sobriety, navigating thinking errors, peer support, and addressing other mental health concerns. Through Second Chance, Nick was able to thoroughly address these barriers, as well as obtain assistance with gainful employment, work clothing/tools, and housing. To Nick, the most important aspect of Second Chance was the unconditional support and trust he received from the staff. Nick is also thankful for his Parole Officer, who has held him accountable along the way.
When asked what advice Nick would give to the reentry population, Nick said to “realize what your vices are and not feed into them when things aren’t going the way you want them to go. If you do give into those vices, don’t beat yourself up over it, but still go after your goals.”
Nick has successfully graduated the Second Chance program as of July 2019 and has also completed parole as of June 2020. He has recently accepted a job with General Motors in the Kansas City area as well. He is most proud of being able to purchase his first vehicle, as well as establishing complete financial independence. Nick is a true example of someone who has succeeded when given a second chance, and the Second Chance staff are so excited to see where his future takes him.
The "Instilling Change" series is one of the most underutilized assets on KCMCC's site — these graduate stories make the case for Second Chance better than any program brochure. Side note for the team: a sortable "Reentry Outcomes Dashboard" + searchable graduate-stories archive (by year, by program, by employment outcome) would be a real fundraising and policy advocacy tool. I help small public-safety nonprofits build that with a copyweb ai — Figma to working filter page in an evening. 75+ years of work deserves the platform.
Nick's story is exactly why programs like Second Chance need more profile in public-safety conversations — reentry success stories should be as visible as crime statistics. I help with comms for a small reentry nonprofit in another state and we've started using an BananaAI image generator for our graduate-spotlight visuals (stock photography for "formerly incarcerated" is often dehumanizing — generated illustrations let us protect identity while showing dignity). Pairs really well with KCMCC's Instilling Change series. Wishing Nick all the best at GM.
What an incredible example of resilience and the power of second chances! Nick’s journey proves that with hard work and steady support, people can completely transform their futures. It’s a refreshing counter-narrative to the typical "big fish eat small fish" mentality, highlighting how community and trust actually drive real success. Anyone curious about the dynamics of competition and human adaptation should definitely check out fish eat fish for some thought-provoking insights.
I appreciated this post for its focus on meaningful community impact and personal responsibility. The way Nick Findley’s work is presented really highlights how one person’s initiative can influence broader positive change. It’s always encouraging to read about individuals who actively contribute to improving their surroundings instead of just talking about it. I recently read a related discussion on a review blog https://www.masterstorage365.com/, and it offered an interesting perspective on how consistent effort and mindset can shape long-term impact in different areas of life.
The article focuses on overcoming obstacles, learning new skills, and making positive life changes through dedication and support. In a similar way, cobb can move encourages players to think strategically, adjust to changing situations, and overcome obstacles along their journey.