Spark Mentee Spotlight with Maurquice Brown-Thomas

Maurquice Brown-Thomas is a Spark College Student studying Exercise Science at Norfolk State University.

What’s one goal or dream that you have for yourself?

One goal that I have for myself is to graduate college not just with a degree, but a true education in my field of study, Exercise Science.

What’s one lesson or skill you learned at Spark that has been most helpful in college?

One skill I learned at Spark that has been most helpful in college is how to be resourceful. That can mean finding scholarships, networking, etc. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Do you have any advice for current Spark students that are about to start college?

My advice for students about to start college is to choose the college that’s right for you. It’s ok if you don’t go to a four-year college right away, there are a lot of factors that come with applying. In addition, it’s ok to not know what you want to do, because your first two years are usually general education classes that every incoming freshman has to take. Even if you feel like they’re not worth it, those classes will help you navigate what interests you and what doesn’t. 

How has Spark the Journey has impacted your life?

Spark the Journey has impacted my life in many ways, from my freshman year of high school, meeting my lifelong mentor, and as I went to college, just continuously blessing me in a number of ways. Like checking up on me, showing me how to look at certain experiences, program coordinators sharing perspectives from their college journeys and helping me in ways that they wished others had helped them… I want to thank them for that.