Madison Parker McCauley grew up in the D.C Petworth area and is currently a junior at Benjamin Banneker High School.
Why did you decide to get involved with Spark the Journey?
I decided to get involved with Spark the Journey in 2023 after attending an interesting meeting at school. It seemed like a helpful program for students to connect with mentors who have college experience. For me, it’s very important to build connections and learn as much as I can from my mentor.
In what ways has Spark the Journey impacted your life?
Spark has impacted my life by giving me a great relationship with my mentor, as well as allowing me to collaborate with other D.C. students who have common goals around higher education and achievement in life.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy listening to music, playing rhythm games, drawing, and occasionally skateboarding.
If you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be?
If I could meet anyone, I would have wanted to meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Learning about her experiences, from battling sexism to working her way up the ladder to the Supreme Court, would be incredibly interesting. With an interest in law myself, her work battling gender discrimination inside and outside the court was very inspiring.
What activities do you like to do with your mentor?
I like playing get-to-know-you games with my mentor as it strengthens our relationship, as well as tells us more about each other’s experiences.
What’s a dream you would like to achieve?
I would like to become successful enough in my main field of work to have the ability to comfortably pursue hobbies, while simultaneously being able to provide for myself and others. Also, being able to create change, like making something or someone better, is a pretty broad goal. But at the end of the day, I want to make a difference – however big or small – in my lifetime.
How is your mentor helping you achieve that dream?
My mentor is helping me achieve that dream by supporting my efforts in school and giving me helpful tools and strategies that help me stay on target.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned so far in your time with Spark?
The most important thing I’ve learned so far at Spark is to speak up, ask questions, and to be comfortable hearing and learning about different professions and experiences.