From quiet cadet to clemency advocate, Mary Baldwin senior Kelly Cruz is using her voice — and her leadership — to fight for justice and inspire change.
Kelly Cruz never imagined she’d be part of a campaign to halt an execution.
The senior criminal justice major from Corsicana, Texas, came to Mary Baldwin University for the challenge of the Virginia Women’s Institute for Leadership (VWIL) and the promise of growth beyond her comfort zone. Additionally, she found a calling.
“I used to be the shy one in the back of the class,” Cruz said. “VWIL helped crack that shell. It gave me the confidence to lead and speak up — and not just for myself, but for others, too.”
And across all facets of her life at MBU, she’s doing just that.
As the current president of MBU’s Criminal Justice Club and a cadet who holds multiple leadership roles in VWIL — including color guard commander, peer advisor, and drill team commander for P.E.A.R.L.S. — Cruz already stood out among her peers. But her recent internship with Equal Justice USA, a national nonprofit working to end the death penalty and promote trauma-informed justice, brought her impact to a new level.
Guided by faculty mentor Dr. Paige Reed, assistant professor of criminal justice, Cruz joined the organization to work on one of its highest-profile cases: the fight to stop the execution of Rocky Myers, a Black man in Alabama believed by many to have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death despite evidence of intellectual disability and significant procedural errors.
“My job was to help map out all the faith-based organizations in Alabama that might support clemency,” she said. “I researched churches, community groups, and advocacy networks — anyone who might raise their voice. I created spreadsheets, reached out, and helped draft letters for the legal team. Sometimes, it was intense.”
It was also personal.
“I never realized how powerful it could be to see different communities coming together — different beliefs, different backgrounds — all uniting around the same cause,” she said. “That was the most impactful part. That unity.”
In the end, it all paid off. On Feb. 28, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commuted the death sentence of Robin ’Rocky’ Dion Myers. Thanks to the work of nonprofits, advocacy groups, and even interns like MBU’s own Kelly Cruz, Myers was granted clemency.
After the announcement, the team celebrated over Zoom. Cruz recalls the moment clearly: “We all cheered. After all those months of work that sometimes felt pointless, it felt like we actually did something. That we made a difference.”
Her experience with Equal Justice USA gave her new clarity on the kind of work she wants to pursue.
“I’ve always been drawn to justice — to protecting people, solving cases, and helping communities,” said Cruz. “Now I’m thinking more seriously about how I can use my leadership and training to do that at the highest level.”
After graduation this May, Cruz will attend Advanced Camp at Fort Knox and return to MBU in August for her commissioning ceremony as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. She hopes to be placed in military intelligence or military police — fields she sees as direct paths to her ultimate goal: working for the FBI.
Until then, she’s focused on investing in the values she’s learned at MBU; continuing to lead, learn, and lift up others.
“I try not to look at things as strengths or weaknesses anymore,” Cruz said. “Just opportunities to grow. And I want to help other people see that, too.”