A Goal, a Promise and One Step Forward
When Marquise L. Weatherspoon saw a social media post about Oakton’s Workforce Empowerment Initiative (WEI), she was looking for something new. She didn’t know the path would lead her to becoming a licensed real estate broker—or that she’d find strength and purpose through devastating loss. Today, she’s planning her next degree, chasing big dreams and keeping a powerful promise: to move her family forward.
Finding a Future in Real Estate
Marquise was aware of Oakton—“I live in Skokie, so of course I knew about Oakton,” she said—but it wasn’t until her cousin sent her a post about WEI that she considered enrolling. “I was in between jobs and needed to do something,” she said. The program offers funding and support for students in several programs, but real estate caught her eye.
“I’d been thinking about it, but I thought it would take too long, or I wouldn’t be able to do it,” she admitted. “The WEI program definitely made it possible.”
Marquise liked the flexibility of the real estate profession—and the impact. “I like helping people solve problems,” she said. “And once you’re successful, you can make a good living while doing something that matters.”
Her instructor was a managing broker with real-world experience, sharing current industry insights, ethics and legal standards. “She made it make sense,” Marquise said. “She wasn’t trying to sell us a dream—she wanted us to be ready for the reality of this work.”
Strength Through the Unimaginable
In April 2023, while attending class at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus, Marquise’s world changed forever. “I got a call from one of my twins,” she remembered. “He told me his brothers had been shot.” That night, her oldest son, Jacquis, was killed, and two of her other sons were injured—one critically.
Even in the midst of profound grief, Marquise’s instinct was to stay accountable—to her goals, her sons and to herself. “I’m not a quitter,” she said. “I remember thinking, I can’t miss one day of class or I’ll get kicked out. That’s just how I’m wired.” When she realized that she couldn’t return right away, Oakton’s WEI team stepped in. “Juleya from the program called and emailed me just to say, ‘Don’t worry about this. Whenever you’re ready, we’ll help you come back,’” she said. “That meant everything to me.”
Months later, Marquise returned—determined to keep a promise she’d made to her sons. “I always tell them, if you start something, you have to finish it,” she said. “And if I’m going to be that example, I also have to live that example.”
Her strength is grounded in faith and love. “I know Jacquis would be proud of me,” she said. “His life was so much bigger than that one day. So I choose to remember his life instead of the tragedy that took him.”
Today, she honors Jacquis by modeling perseverance for her family—including her three sons, now thriving in college, sports, the arts and fatherhood. “At the end of the day, everything I do is for them,” she said. “I just want them to be proud of their mother.”
Big Dreams, Bigger Purpose
It’s not just a promise to her family that keeps Marquise going. It’s also the sense of community she found at Oakton—especially in the classroom.
One day, overwhelmed by a math assignment, she considered skipping class. But her instructor quietly shifted the format so the whole class could work on the assignment together. “That’s when I knew she saw me,” Marquise said. “She didn’t single me out—she just helped me over that hurdle.”
As a licensed insurance producer, real estate broker and preacher, Marquise brings a wealth of experience to everything she does. And she’s already preparing for her next goal: earning a degree in communications with a first step with Oakton’s associate degree program. Inspired by her friend Nathan Norman—an Oakton staff member and Northwestern University grad—she’s aiming high.
“He’s from where I’m from, and he made it. He told me I needed those ‘tags’ behind my name. That’s what puts you ahead,” she said. “He gave me the blueprint. And now I know I can do it too.”
Advice for the Next Step
Marquise has a message for anyone thinking about going back to school—especially adults who’ve put their own goals on hold, or anyone facing a life-altering situation that changes the entire path.
“Do it for the right reason,” she said. “Find your why—the thing you can’t compromise on—and take that first step. Because if you take one step with Oakton, they’ll take the rest with you.”