Darrin Madison says he is fortunate to have found a mentor in David Bowen, whom he met through Urban Underground, and a benefactor in Sandy Pasch. The current and former state representatives helped Madison raise funds and find employment that enabled him to enter Howard University in Washington, D.C. in fall 2015.
But he was forced to return to Milwaukee after his freshman year to work and raise money to pay off his freshman tuition. Hoping to someday practice environmental law, Madison is a member of Public Allies, coordinating volunteers at the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center. He has launched a GoFundMe campaign soon to help pay his balance and return to Howard.
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Howard is a great school academically. It is terrible to hear Darrin’s story because it is a reflection of my son’s experience with Howard 5 years ago. He went in the Spring of 2010 came home Spring of 2011 due to not having the finances needed to continue. Although he returned to Howard in 2012 the mounting tuition pressures of finances and practices of “Purging” students whose tuition wasn’t paid in full at the start of the semester led to his return mid Junior year. I want to encourage you Darrin that if Howard is your dream you may have it. However don’t let your dream be deferred. I am proud to say that my son learned a lot from his experiences at Howard and has Great Professors who still nurture him today. Ultimately he graduated from a UW School and is now a Teaching Assistant pursuing his Masters Degree. You should know there are many students who have had an still have your dream who have left Howard some unable to return. Stay motivated but consider that your success is inevitable regardless of where you are.