Meet Quentin Marquez, Class of 2015

Friday, May 8, 2015

Quentin Marquez
Political Science and International Relations major, Entrepreneurial Management certificate
Glenwood, Iowa

Quentin MarquezAn avid football fan, Quentin Marquez was always in Kinnick Stadium on Saturday game days, but for a different reason than most: the half-time show. A four-year member of the Hawkeye Marching Band and three-year drum major, most people recognize him as the man with the fuzzy hat spinning a mace and leading the band. But aside from game day activities, Marquez played an active part in the University of Iowa College Republicans as the chair. This fits perfectly with his political science major and certificate in entrepreneurial management from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

How did the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences help prepare you for your future?

Getting a degree through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences is really going to pay off in my future, specifically wanting to go to law school. Just kind of getting that very diverse background from a fantastic program that we have here at the University of Iowa will be something that I know I’ll use in the future…I’ve been able to combine music and politics in a very interesting way. Though music wasn’t my major…it’s been something I’ve really enjoyed here at the University of Iowa.

What was your best moment here?

My best moment was my first run-on in Kinnick Stadium as a freshman. It was pouring down rain for the Tennessee Tech game. The band had to wait 90 minutes in the tunnel during the game but we had an absolute blast and ended up winning the game as well. No one forgets their first run-on.

If you could speak with yourself as an incoming freshman, what advice would you give yourself?

If I could go back in time and speak to myself as an incoming freshman, I’d tell myself to just get out there and make as many friends as possible. You know, in the band, there’s so many awesome people to get to know and it’s been a pleasure to get to know those people over the past couple years.

Did it go fast?

It went so fast. I knew it was going to go fast, but then you kind of just wake up as a senior like, oh my gosh, these past four years have just flown by, but that’s what happens when you’re having fun.

Where do you hope to be in 10 years?          

In 10 years, well, it’s really my dream, to be a law school graduate and maybe either working on my own private practice or maybe running for office.

—Interview by Nora Heaton (BA 2013) and Dora Grote (Class of 2015); photo by Jill Tobin

The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences offers about 70 majors across the humanities; fine, performing and literary arts; natural and mathematical sciences; social and behavioral sciences; and communication disciplines. About 15,000 undergraduate and nearly 2,000 graduate students study each year in the college’s 37 departments, led by faculty at the forefront of teaching and research in their disciplines. The college teaches all Iowa undergraduates through the college's general education program, CLAS CORE. About 80 percent of all Iowa undergraduates begin their academic journey in CLAS. The college confers about 60 percent of the university's bachelor's degrees each academic year.