I don’t fear much. Public speaking? No problem. Meeting new people? A cinch. Death? Inevitable. Just two things bother me: Swarms of insects, and tentacles. That would explain why, to become the first member of my family to graduate from college, I took a fearless, systematic approach.
I physically visited every college in the state. I narrowed the field to those schools near my home in Tacoma, Washington, but not too near. And no schools with a giant campus. That left five possibles, including Seattle Pacific University. Four of them sent letters of acceptance, but not only did Seattle Pacific’s letter arrive first, it arrived Christmas Eve. I took that as a little bit of a sign.
Now in my junior year at SPU, I’m majoring in communication with a reconciliation studies/political science double minor, I believe God’s purpose for me is unfolding according to plan. I’m compelled to succeed by the weight of the opportunity. Maybe 25 percent of the students in my high school class actually graduated. It wouldn’t be right for me to blow it.
I’m pursuing a career in the legal profession by associating with people who know how. I took time to talk to lawyers and judges about their work. Until I feel comfortable with the justice system we have, there are not enough lawyers.
I’m grateful for a lower middle-class upbringing that was filled with family who knew how to work, how to cook, and how to encourage a young man to follow his dreams. As kids, my brother and I didn’t know we didn’t have a lot of money. It didn't hold me back.
I have supported other students raising funds for SPRINT trips and was the only sophomore to donate money to the Senior Gift. I can usually manage something under $20. My little donation matters. More than the money, it tells someone, ‘I believe in what you’re doing.’
Because I’ve been a recipient of grants, loans, and the Ames Scholarship for students of color, I was hired on as a student caller for University Advancement. The majority of people I talk to are grateful they went to SPU. I know I sure will be.
—Quinten “Q” Branch '14
