Bio

 About Me

    My name is Eric Shawn Burnham. I was born April 21, 1979, in Las Vegas, Nevada, but I grew up mostly in Oregon and California. I came to prison in 2001, and I've been at E.O.C.I. ever since.

    When I was 21, I confronted another man while intoxicated. During the fight, I stabbed him, and I unfortunately took his life. I was a heavy alcohol and drug user throughout my adolescence and young adulthood. I deeply regret the actions of my youth, but I'm not the same person I was back then. I cannot change the past, but I can use it to shape my future.

    I intend to dedicate the rest of my life to helping young people avoid making the same mistakes I did. I earned my G.E.D. in 2003, and in 2015, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Counseling, graduating with a 3.98 GPA. By mid - 2017, I will have earned a Master's degree in Counseling, and I'm accumulating CEU  credits in order to meet the requirements for state certification as an alcohol and drug counselor. ( I will also need 4000 hrs of clinically - supervised Counseling that I cannot achieve until I'm released. )

   I work as a tutor in the G.E.D. program here at the prison, and I love my job. It doesn't pay much, but it gives me an opportunity to help young people.

   Personal growth, to me, means becoming the person I was designed to be. I'm not entirely sure where the balance is found between nature and nurture in the formation of my spirit as a unique human being. I do know, however, that I'm just one incarcerated man trying to overcome his past mistakes and make a positive impact on this crazy world. I kind of think that's what life is all about: taking the bad and using it for the good.