WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Studying at Tennessee State University
Creating at The Art Institutes
Interning at NASA as an Electrical Engineer
Leading their university as Student Body President
Working as a Video Producer in Atlanta
Earning Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice, Public Administration & Molecular Biology
Serving as Officers in the U.S. Army
Volunteering their time at Inspiring Minds
Working as an Engineer for the U.S. Government
Starting their own companies around the country
Giving back to their communities
Becoming strong, successful members of society
Marvin Logan
Marvin Logan Jr. is a Warren native, a graduate of Kent State University, and a member of the first Inspiring Minds class in 2006. Marvin will never forget the life-changing experiences he had as a student of Inspiring Minds, from the early days meeting for homework help with 3-4 other students at McDonald's, to the Milwaukee exposure trip that lead to an internship and job opportunity working for Usher’s New Look organization.
In 2017, Marvin brought his knowledge, passions and experiences to the IM team as our new Transition Coordinator. In this role, he supports and advocates for current IM students and IM graduates through their individual college and career journeys.
"Helping youth has always been my passion, and I'm extremely excited that I now get to serve students from my own backyard. IM has been there for me since 2006 and now it’s time for me to pay it forward."
Marvin's first-hand personal and professional experiences will help him guide students through decisions small and large; such as college and career research, applications, scholarships, loans, academic and athletic demands, campus involvement, independence, grad school and so much more.
For many years, Inspiring Minds has seen increased demand for K-12 programming, as well as post-secondary and career assistance. As a result, we have begun transitioning toward a cradle-to-career model and plan to continue impacting local youth of all ages, as well as expanding to cities across the country.
Marvin shares our belief that our work with young people is never done. There will always be more students, there will always be barriers to their success that we must find a way to remove, and there will always be new dreams we can help them achieve.
Welcome back Marvin, make your IMpact!
Mellreanna Ferguson
Imagine receiving a surprise letter in the mail from Harvard University inviting you to attend a prestigious medical conference you've never heard of. Multiply that by 10, and that's how IM Senior, Mellreanna, felt this summer when she received an academic nomination from the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to attend their Congress of Future Medical Leaders at Harvard University.
The Congress of Future Medical Leaders is an annual gathering of America's high-achieving high school students aspiring to become the next generation of medical leaders. Mellreanna had the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the 3-day conference, where she heard from some of the brightest minds in the medical field, made new friends from around the world, and got to watch live surgeries!
When Mellreanna first received the nomination, she wasn't sure she would be able to attend due to the fees. She reached out to Inspiring Minds for financial help and we suggested contacting Harvard about a scholarship. She did and Harvard gave her a FULL RIDE to attend the conference!
"I aspire to be a pediatric oncologist or a primary care physician. I always thought Harvard was my dream school, but after visiting I think York, Princeton or Stanford may be a better fit for me."
Mellreanna plans to continue working hard her Senior year, taking the hardest classes she can, aiming for 4.0s, and scoring high on her tests.
At the conference, students took an oath, pledging to take care of any patient that comes their way, good or bad, and we know she will!
While this is just the beginning of Mellreanna’s success story, we look forward to updating it with her future IMpact!
Torin Logan
“It doesn’t matter what situation or circumstance you are in, if you believe in yourself you can achieve anything you strive for.”
When Torin joined IM in 8th grade, he probably didn’t think that 5 years later he would be giving the commencement speech at his school, inspiring his fellow graduates as they enter the next chapter of their life.
Through his time with IM, we saw Torin grow academically, personally and professionally. So much so that Torin’s Mom, Tina, explained that “last month, I felt completely confident putting Torin on a plane alone to go to boot camp because he had traveled without me before with Inspiring Minds.”
Tina has been an active IM parent and volunteer for many years. When asked why she became a volunteer, she said because she believes in what IM does to help kids achieve their goals and be the best person they can be, and doesn’t know who wouldn’t want to be a part of that.
“As a volunteer, IM even pushed me to try new things outside of my comfort zone and truly opened doors for me as an adult, so I know firsthand what affect this program can have on our young people.”
Torin’s younger sister has also been a part of the IM K-8 Summer and After-School Programs since 4th grade.
Tina said some of the most important things her children have developed through IM were confidence, diversity and professional experiences such as interview skills and college visits.
“But what I love most about IM is how ALL the volunteers and staff really care about the kids, and make sure they know someone believes in them.”
Tina expressed that she knows IM helped prepare Torin for life, and she’s excited to see what his future holds as a military police officer, something she probably didn’t think she would say 5 years ago.
