Terrance Coffie, Founder
Terrance Coffie is a 2017 M.S.W, and 2016 B.S.W. graduate of New York University. In 2017 he was named the Alex Rosen NASW NYC-NYU Student of the Year, as well as the 2017 Citizens Against Recidivism, Educator of the Year. As a social justice advocate, youth activist, and proponent for educational and criminal justice reform, Terrance has committed himself to being an change agent by way of higher education. He currently teaches Forensic Justice in Problem Solving Courts at New York University.
Mr. Coffie has participated in numerous venues such as the New York Re-entry Network’s: Transitional Talk, President Roundtable: Men of Color Student Leadership Institute, Harlem Transformation Project, Vera Institute of Justice Committee and Columbia University’s Transitional Study Committee, just to name a few. Mr. Coffie delivers an awe inspiring message exposing his personal life experiences and challenges to engage and connect with disenfranchised men of color on the value of education. His raw and candid style of speaking has inspired countless men who suffered from hopelessness, homelessness and criminal behavior with his inspirational story of redemption, determination, and perseverance.
He has been featured in USA Today’s op-ed section, NYU’s American Story, Katie Couric’s American Goodness, also with NY1’s In Focus with Cheryl Wills, the Bronx Community College Communicator, New York PIX 11 News and The New York Daily News. He is also a debuted contributing author in Race, Education and Reintegrating the Formerly Incarcerated Citizen.
As a formerly incarcerated person and graduate of The Doe Fund, Terrance’s commitment to social justice is from a personal perspective. Inspired by his success at The Doe Fund, Terrance enrolled into Bronx Community College in 2011 where he applied the ethical values of God, hard work and education. During his tenure at Bronx Community College Terrance took an active role in his academic career, he became a member of CUNY’s Black Male Initiative, a program designed to help young men of color succeed academically. He built a stellar academic career earning numerous awards such as: being selected to The Presidents’ Roundtable as a Peer Leader, named a Global Fellow by the International Study Program, Salzburg, Austria, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member, recipient of the Coca Cola and New York State All-Academic Team-Gold Scholar Awards and named the 2014 NYACCE Student of the Year. In May 2014, Terrance graduated Bronx Community College and was offered a scholarship to attend New York University.
As a senior at NYU he was honored with the distinguished 2016 President's Service Award and the Excellence In Leadership Award, for his development of the College Pathways Program, which assist formerly incarcerated men in pursuing higher educational opportunities, just recently his life story was aired “NYU’s American Story.” Terrance will begin graduate school this September, where he will intern at the prestigious McSilver Institute for Research and Poverty. Having seen the cycle of poverty, substance abuse, unemployment, homelessness and incarceration first-hand, Terrance has committed himself to promoting educational and policy reform on a national and international scale. Terrance says “For me education has become a means not only to see the world, but an avenue by which I can carry a message of hope to lives that are sometimes torn by despair.”