Turning compassion into change — the story behind Reignite: Second Chance Scholars
Gracie Bricker, senior criminal justice and psychology double-major, first confronted the justice system at nine years old. Her uncle was incarcerated and she saw first hand the challenges he faced to reintegrate into society.
As a Levine Scholar, Bricker has built a portfolio of community service experiences, all leading to establishing UNC Charlotte’s first student organization — Reignite: Second Chance Scholars — devoted to supporting individuals and families impacted by incarceration.
Through guest speakers and community outreach partnerships, Reignite destigmatizes formerly incarcerated individuals and offers Charlotte students a unique, human-centered perspective on the justice system.
“Many incarcerated individuals are eventually released into society — that means they’re going to be your neighbors,” Bricker said. “Everyone deserves to feel supported. Everyone deserves to have hope for their future.”
Early roots of empathy
Bricker grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and was instilled with empathy from a young age. Long before Charlotte and law school aspirations, Bricker was called to serve her community.
“The root of my interest is in advocacy and helping people,” Bricker said.
Her uncle’s incarceration left an emotional and moral imprint. Bricker was close to her uncle and remembers his brightness, intelligence and kindness. His incarceration gave her a sobering glimpse into the realities of the justice system.
“I couldn’t even send him a birthday card, the facility kept sending them back,” Bricker said.
When her uncle was released from prison, she saw the challenges he faced re-entering society. People often think of reintegration in terms of big milestones — employment, housing, rebuilding relationships — but Bricker noticed the small hurdles, too.
“Relearning how to use a fork and a knife, setting up a smartphone, all of those little things can be really discouraging if you don’t have someone there helping you,” Bricker said.
This experience made Bricker think critically about the issues with reintegration after incarceration and inspired her to do something about it.
“What about all the people who don’t have a family who cares about them?,” said Bricker. “How did they maintain hope? How is that fair? They’re still humans after all.”
Levine Scholarship: A launchpad for service
Bricker arrived at UNC Charlotte in 2022 as a part of the Levine Scholars cohort. She credits the honors program with giving her the structure, mentorship and access she needed to turn her passion into action.
“Every volunteer opportunity I learned about was from older scholars,” Bricker said. “It really opened the right doors.”
During her time at Charlotte, Bricker has held internships at Safe Alliance and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, which have connected her to the greater Charlotte community and have given her an outlet to see the law in action. The program’s partnerships with Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity and Charlotte Harvest Exchange have given her opportunities to get out into the Charlotte community and help others.
“Volunteering has opened my eyes to the challenges facing different communities in Charlotte and what resources are available,” Bricker said. “It’s great to have that experience because when I’m helping a client at Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, I take the extra step of connecting them to resources.”
Lighting the way to reentry education at Charlotte
Reignite: Second Chance Scholars officially became a club in fall 2025. It took Bricker three years to get Reignite to the place it is today. She leveraged relationships she made throughout her time at Charlotte to create robust programming for the club’s 30 members.
Twice a month, formerly incarcerated individuals, re-entry-focused nonprofits and legal professionals visit campus to speak with Reignite members. Bricker believes hearing lived experiences helps counter the misconceptions often perpetuated by the media.
“The biggest thing that we want our students to take away is empathy,” said Bricker. “We also want our students to be well informed about the challenges and successes of the justice system and be motivated to pursue change.”
In April, for Second Chance Month, Reignite is hosting a card‑making event for incarcerated women in partnership with Changed Choices, a local nonprofit supporting re-entry. The event will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 16, in Cone University Center, Room 210.
Reignite is also partnering with the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, the Pre-Law Society and the Criminal Justice Association to host a criminal record expungement clinic Friday, April 17. The partnership grew out of Bricker’s internship and gives Charlotte students hands-on experience supporting caseworkers.
The initiative also has partnered with City Startup Labs, a local organization focused on social economic mobility for formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs in Charlotte. Bricker and her club members volunteered with classroom operations for a cohort of previously incarcerated learners and provided gamified programming to supplement their curriculum.
“I sit in gratitude because high school me would have never imagined that I would be in a position to do these things,” Bricker said.