Max J. Vicente, MSW, is a PhD candidate in Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh whose qualitative research focuses on sense of belonging and self-esteem among formerly incarcerated college students. Their dissertation, Conviction to Convocation: Sense of Belonging & Self-Esteem in Formerly Incarcerated College Students, uses an inductive approach and an abolitionist lens to center the lived experiences of justice-involved students while challenging deficit-based narratives. Max’s scholarship highlights how belonging and self-esteem function as protective factors that extend beyond reducing recidivism, shaping persistence, identity, and community in higher education. Alongside research, they have built community through teaching, equity initiatives, and organizing work in both academic and nonprofit spaces. As a queer, transgender, Puerto Rican, and justice-involved scholar, Max brings an embodied perspective that insists on shifting resources from punishment toward education, care, and collective liberation.