The roots of Tyce Holmes’ love for Marquette are traceable to middle school, when he saw the glass façade of Marquette Law School from the highway on his ride home.
“I never did a tour of Marquette,” Holmes says. “My first day of college was my first tour. Just me seeing Marquette from the freeway was enough for me.”
Coming to Marquette was an act of faith for Holmes: the fostering of deep trust in a path he could not yet fully see. This is nothing new for him — faith touches all corners of his life, from singing in Gospel Choir to founding his Christian clothing brand, Consecrated LLC, to the community he found in Marquette’s Urban Scholars Program.
Now at the end of four years as a criminology and law studies major, Holmes can see clearly how his faith guided him to the right choice.
“Marquette has a vested interest in wanting you to become a better person,” Holmes says. “Most times, this place sees things in you that you didn’t see in yourself. They highlight that in you and invite you in.”
Holmes found his voice at Marquette through Campus Ministry’s Gospel Choir. He recalls not being involved in very many activities on campus as a freshman, going straight back to his residence hall after finishing classes for the day. That all changed when Holmes volunteered for the choir.
“Tyce took the initiative to create a group with the young men in the choir so that they could sing a song in our concert,” says Debra Duff, a financial aid counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program and the director of Marquette’s Gospel Choir. “He has done all the work of getting them together, teaching them the song they will sing and making sure they were all accountable and committed to this group. It has been a joy to watch him take charge and to see the young men look up to him as a leader and follow his direction.”
“If you can yell loud, you can sing with Gospel Choir,” Holmes adds.
Gospel Choir was just one venue for Holmes to grow alongside others. The Urban Scholars cohort has had Holmes working shoulder to shoulder with other high-achieving students on service projects. Holmes also had access to upper division mentors who helped him transition to college life.
While the Urban Scholars program is not explicitly faith-based, Holmes found God in the work the group did in Milwaukee communities.
“Jesus went to the sick who needed help. When you see people in need, you should have the conviction to help in the best way possible. You give as much as you can to see someone become better and grow,” Holmes says.
“He’s unapologetic about his faith and I think that’s refreshing,” says Amanda Markwardt, a coordinator in the Urban Scholars Program. “Even for non-religious folks, I think he still sparks a sense of positivity and hope.”
His clothing line Consecrated will allow Holmes and those like him to literally wear their faith on their sleeves. Holmes had always been interested in fashion and had the idea to turn his startup clothing company into a “walking ministry,” spreading the gospel’s message even further. The company is pre-revenue, but he hopes to publicly launch it soon.
The process of creating Consecrated clarified Holmes’ next step. After realizing that he needed legal advice on how to set up a limited liability corporation, Holmes visited the 707 Hub’s Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic, which gives pro bono legal advice. Working with Clinic Director Nathaniel Hammons, Holmes filed the paperwork for a federal trademark, a process that made him interested in intellectual property law.
“Protecting what’s mine and helping others protect what’s theirs really interests me,” Holmes says.
Holmes’ next steps may take him into the building he grew up admiring on his rides home from school, buoyed by the faith and community he found in his undergraduate career at Marquette.
