Alumni Spotlight: Ethan Thrower ‘09, MSW ‘20

Ethan Thrower (‘09, MSW ‘20) enjoys a fulfilling life. Happily married with two daughters, Thrower works as a social worker at Open School, an alternative high school in Southeast Portland. He advocates for positive change and helps youth build resilience. Recently, Thrower authored a children’s book on the sensitive topic of serving time in prison called, “A Kids Book About Incarceration.” Having been incarcerated himself, Thrower understands it is a complicated subject.

“There isn’t a platform for people to talk about incarceration outside of the movies,” Thrower says. “It’s the elephant in the room. But statistics show there are a large number of people who are or have been incarcerated, or who know someone incarcerated. It’s not a secret, and treating it like one can be harmful and traumatic.”

Thrower wants kids and adults to ask questions and have open conversations about incarceration without feeling pressured to have all the answers. He worked hard for his success, but he’s keenly aware everyone faces unique circumstances.

“It’s really important for people to know that my experience is only one story. There are so many restrictions to people coming out of prison,” Thrower says. “I took ownership for my choices, but I don’t take ownership for the system. There are wrongful convictions. There are people who leave incarceration eager to help their communities but are held back by barriers of the system.”

Thrower dealt with some of those barriers first-hand. He wasn’t allowed to acquire debt in prison, so he could only take a few college classes by mail during the years he was there. Fortunately, he received support and encouragement from his family and became a PSU student within months of his release. But even after graduating and working fulltime, Thrower’s record of incarceration made it difficult for him to find an MSW internship when he returned to PSU.

“Getting a diploma is an avenue for people to regain their power and find purpose, but there are a lot of exclusions for people who have been incarcerated,” he says. “It helped that I was able to surround myself with people who saw excellence in me and looked at who I was as a person.”

Now, Thrower’s personal experience, ability to separate out complex issues and willingness to simply listen make him a highly respected school counselor. Writing the children’s book on incarceration was another way for him to give kids resources and authentic support.

“I understand young people trying to get needs met in ways that don’t work,” he says. “In my youth, I wasn’t clear on the impacts and ripple effects crime can have on another person. As an adult social worker, I recognize those. You can love someone and not love their choices, and owning my experience rather than hiding from it helps set an example.”

Thrower finds purpose in his work, but his true joy comes from parenting, coaching basketball, snowboarding and constant learning.

“There are so many layers of change I want to see in the world, and the only way I see to accomplish them is through education.”