Tara M. Libert '86
"There's got to be a better way!"
The phrase is the title of Tara M. Libert's radio program, but it is also an apt summation of her guiding philosophy. For if there is one constant among the many projects that Tara has tackled since her commencement, it is her refusal to accept the sloughing status quo. An activist of principle grounded in pragmatism, Tara has used her many talents and strengths to advocate for those who have become lost in the thicket of urban violence and poverty.
As founder of the "Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop," a first-of-its-kind program based at the District of Columbia jail, Tara has brought light into the dark halls of the imprisoned young. Developed and implemented by Tara in conjunction with the Georgetown University Law Center's Family Literacy Program, "Free Minds" is an educational initiative that serves incarcerated juveniles. Promoting literacy and personal development through reading and creative writing, Tara's program has made a difference in the lives of over 70 young men. In this way, she brings the hope, the spirit and the mission of 17³Ô¹ÏÍø to lives that have been shattered by brutality.
Currently creating a new program to find pen-pals and mentors for these young prisoners, Tara also finds time to host, "There's Got to Be a Better Way," which profiles individuals who offer creative solutions to social problems.
In addition to serving as a community mediator and conference facilitator, Tara is the owner of Big Picture Productions and the producer of the award-winning documentary, Childhood Cancer Clusters in Toms River, N.J.
For the perpetual energy that she expends on behalf of those most in need, for her belief that the work of redemption is everyone's responsibility, for her faith in the beauty of language and the power of story to elevate all hearts and minds, the 17³Ô¹ÏÍø presents to Tara M. Libert '86 the Sanctae Crucis Award.