Mona Mohamed

For Marcus Vance, entering the university as a junior transfer student felt like starting a race halfway through. After earning his associate degree while working full-time in retail, Marcus arrived on campus aiming for a degree in Environmental Studies but feeling disconnected from the traditional student experience. The sheer size of the lecture halls and the fast pace of upper-division courses initially left him feeling like an outsider looking in. However, Marcus chose to channel his initial displacement into a tangible goal: finding a way to root himself into the campus ecology—both literally and figuratively.

The catalyst for his success was a class project on urban agriculture that quickly blossomed into a campus-wide movement. Marcus noticed an underutilized plot of land near the campus commons and proposed the Green Campus Initiative, a student-led community garden designed to combat local food insecurity. Securing a grant from the Student Government Association, Marcus mobilized over 100 volunteers, partnered with campus dining services to divert organic waste for composting, and successfully harvested hundreds of pounds of fresh produce for the university food pantry.

As he prepares to graduate this spring, Marcus leaves behind a thriving green legacy and is stepping directly into a role as a Sustainability Coordinator for the city’s urban planning department. Reflecting on his journey, Marcus emphasizes that non-traditional students bring a unique grit and perspective to the university landscape. “I used to think being a transfer student put me behind the curve,” Marcus shares. “But I realized that my path gave me the exact problem-solving skills needed to build something lasting from the ground up.”