UMGC graduate credits beloved service dog with helping her succeed
Marquita Weddle-Marshall ’26 did not receive her master's degree alone at commencement last May. In her arms, dressed in cap and gown, was her beloved service dog, Jazmone, a schnoodle—a schnauzer and poodle mix—known as Jazzy.
Family members often play an important role in helping University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) students reach graduation. For Weddle-Marshall, Jazzy was as important as any human family member in helping her complete her degree.
A partner in success
Jazzy was trained to perform tasks that assisted with specific medical needs. Weddle-Marshall said her service dog was as responsible as anyone for helping her complete her degree.
“I have panic attacks. I have anxieties,” she said. “On top of that, I rarely sleep, so I'm always multitasking. While I was in school, I was also working and doing an internship and growing a business. I was always moving, and she's always there with me.”
At times, Weddle-Marshall would work beyond the point where she should have taken a break.
“Jazzy actually got on my computer and lay across the keyboard, and then when I tried to type, she was like, ‘Nope, nope.’”
The dog, she said, could sense when she was about to have a panic attack.
“In her own way, she would look at me and say, ‘I'm going to tell.’”
The dog would run to get Weddle-Marshall’s husband or one of her children to alert them that she needed help.
“She was pretty much everything to me,” said Weddle-Marshall. “She was more human than a dog.”
Learning while building a future
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Weddle-Marshall still lives in Ward 8, where she runs her own consulting firm, The Weddle-Marshall Consulting Firm.
After earning a bachelor's degree in management and marketing from the University of the District of Columbia, she decided to pursue a master's degree in management, specializing in information systems and services, to help take her firm to the next level.
“UMGC allowed me to take everything I have done prior and helped me to restructure the business,” she said, including changing the firm's name from Creative Intuitions to one better suited to the international business she hoped to build.
“I learned certain things like that from the courses at t ,” she said.
Today, she helps nonprofits, startups, and small businesses strengthen operations, elevate performance, and build systems that drive sustainable growth through customer relationship management. This summer, she worked with the Salvation Army to create a science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) camp for Ward 8 students. She has also worked with organizations in Namibia.
The UMGC program expanded her perspective on working in a global environment.
“I had plenty of classmates that we had to figure out the time zone just to get projects done because we were in different areas of the world,” she said. “That has changed my life.”
She also credits UMGC's support network with helping her stay on track.
Among UMGC staff dedicated to student success Weddle-Marshall credited success coach Chelsea Byer with helping her the most.
“She listened to my pain points and helped develop a plan of action.”
Weddle-Marshall said UMGC's flexibility helped her balance school, work, and family responsibilities.
“Whatever you do,” she advised, “utilize the early access week. It will be very helpful during the most difficult times. It will help you get ahead and stay ahead.”
Marquita Weddle-Marshall ’26 MS, Information Systems and Services
A milestone shared
Throughout her earlier school years, Weddle-Marshall said, her disabilities sometimes led others to underestimate her abilities, including authority figures who told her she could not learn math.
That's when, she said, she figured out how she learns best.
“I taught myself not to try to do things the way other people do it because I'm different and unique,” she said. “So, my transcripts from my associates all the way through my master's says different. I've aced pretty much every class that I've taken, and so that was a key for me.”
She said she wanted to prove to herself that she could accomplish anything she set her mind to.
“Education has opened up my eyes and opened up my world.”
Her educational journey often mirrored milestones in her children's lives. After becoming a mother at 16, she pursued her education while helping her children navigate their own learning challenges.
“When I received my associate degree, my first son received his high school diploma. Same with my second son who is two years younger than the first; he received his high school diploma a few days after I received my bachelor’s, and my daughter who is 10 and 12 years younger than my sons graduated from middle school the week after I received my master’s from UMGC.”
A few months before commencement, Weddle-Marshall learned Jazzy had a terminal illness.
“But she walked across the stage with me in her own cap and gown,” she said. “She did her job, and I’m thankful to have had her in my life.”
Today, Weddle-Marshall is adjusting to a new service dog while continuing to grow her consulting business and apply what she learned at t .
“Jazzy and I shared a special bond,” she said. “She was one with me and I was with her.”
Though Jazzy is gone, Weddle-Marshall said the support she received and the lessons she learned during her time at t continue to help her move forward.
September is National Service Dog Month. This story honors the role Jazzy, Marquita Weddle-Marshall's service dog, played in helping her reach her educational goals. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), are permitted in many public places. Students can learn more about accessibility services and accommodations on UMGC’s website.