Tennessee State University (TSU) senior Christopher Brown says the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) didn’t just help him dream, it helped him to achieve.
“I always believed I could reach my goals,” Brown said. “But TMCF allowed me to actually touch them.”
Brown, a graduating senior and TMCF yard ambassador, has earned an internship and three job offers through the organization. He first learned about TMCF from a fellow student who encouraged him to get involved.
“I asked my friend, ‘How are you getting all of these internships, job opportunities and professional development experiences,” Brown said. “He told me about TMCF, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
After applying to his first TMCF event, Brown’s professional journey quickly took off. He secured an internship with Walmart/Sam’s Club, which later turned into a job offer. He also participated in Google’s Career Launchpad Program and Adobe’s immersion program. In addition, Brown was invited to attend TMCF’s Leadership Institute in 2024 and 2025 and served as a student speaker at the Anniversary Gala.
“TMCF has impacted me every single time I’ve been involved,” Brown said. “Leadership Institute was a pivotal moment in my career. It was life changing! It gave me professional development, confidence and transferable skills that I’ve used in every internship and workplace experience since.”
Looking ahead, Brown aspires to become a chief people officer or chief information officer for a Fortune 100 company. He credits TMCF with providing the tools to make that dream attainable.
“The skills I’ve gained through TMCF have helped me network strategically, lead effectively and inspire others,” he said. “TMCF is the premier life-changer for HBCU talent. They give you access to programs, donors, scholarships and funding. They open the door and unlock it for you. All you have to do is walk through.”
For students considering joining TMCF, Brown offers simple advice: take the first step.
“Trying is free, and failure is costly, so why not try,” he said. “All you can do with TMCF is benefit. They want to help you and they want you to win, because when you win with TMCF, you win on the biggest stage.”
