Four year ago, Jacquelyn Patterson walked the across Thurgood Marshall Academy’s stage to receive her high school diploma. In May 2013, she became an alumna of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law.

In high school, “I knew that I wanted to advocate for those in my community, but I was unsure how,” recalls Jacquelyn. Early on, out-of-school programs at Thurgood Marshall Academy helped solidify her interest in finding a way to give back to her community. Thanks to Thurgood Marshall Academy’s links to local and national stakeholders, Jacquelyn worked with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to complete community service hours. In this role, Jacquelyn says, “I interacted with the residents of DC and heard their concerns about their communities as well as how legislation affected them.”

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Jereme Speight, a junior at Fairmont State University, is pursuing a degree in criminal justice. He aspires to work in social services after graduating in …read more