Episode 223: April is Second Chance Month
April is Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the collateral consequences of incarceration.
In this episode, Mari discusses the importance of providing services and opportunities to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, and calls listeners to question the assumptions they make about people, in order to combat recidivism and cultivate more compassion throughout communities.
#SHARETHESPARK
Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator
Makayla Wheeldon is the Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator at The SPARK Initiative, where she works to expand the organization’s reach through creative content, strategic outreach, and community engagement. She holds a degree in Communications and Psychology from the University of Central Florida and spent three years teaching Kindergarten and 1st Grade for Hillsborough County Public Schools — an experience that deepened her understanding of students’ diverse needs and inspired her to pursue broader impact beyond the classroom. Makayla is passionate about empowering youth to regulate their emotions through the understanding that feelings are not permanent. In her role at Spark, she leads efforts to strengthen brand visibility, build meaningful partnerships, and represent the organization across the mental health and education sectors — ensuring the message of innate resilience resonates with as many people as possible.