Leanne M. Marquis

When Leanne M. Marquis became a mother her outlook on getting an education had changed.  Growing up Marquis’s family did not have much money, however, her family was blessed in life and love.  This led Marquis to understand the value of contentment and to accept that financial success associated with college degrees was reserved for the wealthy elite.  In order to create more possibilities for her children, giving them faith and hope in themselves, she enrolled at Haywood Community College at the age of thirty-two becoming a first-generation college student.

Throughout her Community College journey, she has won a writing contest and served as Student Ambassador, Creative Writing Club President and joining Phi Theta Kappa. Marquis transformed from an insecure, apprehensive individual into a focused student with a 4.0 GPA. The most important lesson she has learned is that she is capable of much more than she previously believed.  She credits her family’s sacrifices and the extraordinary stay at Haywood Community College for her success.  Marquis is enrolled for her first semester at East Carolina University where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Communication.