Marcus Hunter II grew up in "poverty
level" conditions. He lost his own father
to gun violence and  a tree in North
Minneapolis is dedicated to his father’s memory.

Reared by a single mother, his family of
six moved 15 times and he attended 16
schools by 9th Grade.  When Marcus
began our college coaching program, we
learned of the grave circumstances of his childhood. He often went without meals. There was no money for extras like
books or sports. He was teased by his
classmates for wearing his clothes inside out because he had no way to launder
them.

But none of that stopped Marcus. His
ambition was greater than his
circumstances. He would become a
writer and share the “human stories” 
intended to help heal his 
community. 

He learned about his High School (De La Salle) through his mentor, but he failed
his first entrance exam, scoring in the 7th percentile. His support team acquired a
tutor, and he worked diligently to build
his skills. He was allowed to retake the
exam, but he still failed, at the 47th 
percentile. Yet, improvement was so 
unprecedented, that De La Salle
accepted him as a student. Now, Marcus
is a top scholar, at De La Salle, and has
been on the “A Honor Roll,”
for the past two years. Wow - talk about
initiative and drive! 

After George Floyd's murder, Marcus
was living his everyday life in North
Minneapolis, and he began to see North
through maturing eyes. He was inspired
to write his first opinion piece for the
Star Tribune, titled "Imagine You Are a
Black Male Teen in North Minneapolis."

Read the article here:
https://www.startribune.com/imagine-you-are-a-black-male-teen-in-north-minneapolis/572719461/

The onset failed to bring the usual 
reprieve from crime. Marcus continued
to hear the  nightly, frightening siren
screams and saw the death toll rise in
North Minneapolis.

He looked around and saw ribbons,
flowers, balloons and messages, tied to
trees, to honor those who were
lost to gun violence. He thought about
his father’s tree and in that realization 
he published his second opinion piece
titled, "I Live In a Cemetery Called North Minneapolis."

Read the article here: 
https://www.startribune.com/i-live-in-a-cemetery-called-north-minneapolis/600029485/

His college-coaching team created this 
“Go Fund Me” page as a way to raise
awareness about his writing and 
to create a college fund to compensate Marcus for his powerful writing. 

He has already been accepted into
various Universities. His top three
choices are Howard University, the
University of Arizona, or the
University of Houston.

Marcus will double-major in Business
and Journalism this fall and plans to earn his MBA. He continues to give back to his community through his writing, 
managing a youth gospel band, and
mentoring his peers to pursue their
dreams - despite the odds.

Please donate to his College-Fund. 
Thank you for your investment in Marcus and our community! 

Sincerely,
The College Fund for Marcus
Coaching Team