“I knew I had to change the people, places and things in my life if I was going to be successful. Meeting the people with SEARCH, and those I reconnected with through Facebook, has been a big part of my recovery.” Markevin Thurston
Markevin is working in TSU’s Culinary Department as the creative force behind the fruit and salad bar. Cooking is his passion and he is excited to be able to get in on the ground floor of the field he loves.
Markevin’s initial quest for a creative career was fraught with obstacles. His small hometown of Texarkana, Texas offered no opportunity to explore his dreams. Even as a small child, he knew he’d have to move on and start a life in a more cosmopolitan city like Houston. Unfortunately, he was so bored living in such a provincial town. Before he realized his goal, he found drugs and ended up in the Texas Corrections system.
During his last incarceration, Markevin decided then and there that it was time to change his life. He knew it was a matter of life and death.
Upon his release, he immediately moved to Houston. Even with nowhere to go, he knew it was still a smart decision. He needed to be away from the small town that had made it so easy for him to give in to his addiction. It was then he found out about SEARCH.
“SEARCH gave me uplift in spirit at a time when I was in need.”
Jackie Simons, SEARCH’s Employment Services case manager, referred Markevin to a job fair at The Texas Southern University where he immediately landed the job he loves today.
Since then, he has reconnected with positive people from his past through Facebook, who happened to be here in Houston. They have been a great source of inspiration and have been in his corner since.
In November of 2012, Markevin graduated from our Job Club program and is now concentrating on writing a book as well as furthering his career.
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