Triple the triumph part 1: Marcus’s story
For CSF Alum Marcus, nothing compares to the feeling of tearing through a trail run or a mid-distance track sprint. Light on his feet but heavy in his determination, Marcus lives for running. It’s what gets him out of bed on cold, dark mornings, defines his goals, and motivates him to push through life’s challenges so he can feel that unleashed physical freedom and clarity of mind once again.
“What I love about running is that it’s an individual sport. So the work you put in, that’s the result you’re going to get,” Marcus says. “It’s a team sport of course, but your performance … that’s just based on you.”
Growing up as a triplet
Marcus knows a lot about working on a team as an individual, not just from his time running varsity cross country all four years at Shadle Park High School, but also from being one member of a triplet. “When we were younger, it felt like a game of two against one because my sisters were always together,” he reflects. “But as we’ve grown older, I’m actually really thankful to have two sisters because they help me with a lot of the things I struggle with. I can come to them with anything.”
Growing up, their mother Stacie raised the triplets to believe in higher education as a door opener. “We were taught it was the right thing to do. It would lead us in the right direction,” Marcus says. But as with any expense, triple the amount of tuition for all three siblings was cause for much concern. “That was all I was thinking about [when considering college] because I knew it would be the biggest barrier.”
On orientation night at Shadle Park High School, Stacie walked directly up to CSF advisor Alex Laughery and candidly asked: “As a single mother, how can I afford to send all three of my kids to college?”
Affording college
It’s a question our CSF advisors know all too well. In a world where the cost of college tuition has skyrocketed alongside the importance of getting a post-secondary degree, low-income families need to know there are accessible solutions for affording college.
To address her concerns, Alex worked closely with the triplets to ensure each of them applied for as many scholarships and financial aid opportunities as possible. Without Alex’s guidance, Marcus would not have known where to start. “He helped with all the application processes. And with CSF, the barrier of tuition went away,” Marcus says. It was by no small feat of his own that Marcus was awarded multiple scholarships as well as financial aid.
Knowing that CSF could help ease the financial burden of affording college, Alex encouraged Marcus to apply to as many colleges as he wanted to. “I was pretty excited. I got a lot of acceptance letters, so it was super exciting just knowing I had options,” Marcus says. “That I could choose wherever I wanted to go to school was really cool.”
Preparation is key
Marcus set his sights on Eastern Washington University, both for its excellence in his preferred area of study, exercise science, and its Division 1 athletics program, where he continues to run cross country and track competitively. He says his decision to attend Eastern Washington University wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance of CSF. “College Success Foundation allowed me to explore and dive deeper into Eastern as a whole, the classes, the opportunities, the things I didn’t know yet.”
Acceptance and affording college tuition aside, Marcus had some concerns about the transition to a college campus. “I remember my sisters and I were confused about the steps to take after submitting our applications. We didn’t know what else we needed to do,” he says. “Alex took the three of us out to lunch and gave us individual time to ask him questions. He’s always been there.”
In many ways, Alex exemplified a coaching style similar to what Marcus values on his sports teams. “Alex helped me feel prepared going in. He helped us become more familiar with what to expect so we didn’t go into it confused or misled,” Marcus says. “Honestly he’s just a great guy.”
An optimistic future
This fall, the triplets started their freshman year at their respective colleges. Marcus reflects on this shared milestone as an opportunity for him and his sisters to forge their own paths and nurture a sense of individuality—the same type of individuality that drives him to achieve podium positions at state cross country championships and earn the title of varsity team captain as a high school junior and senior.
“I want my sisters to reach their goals as much as I want to reach my own,” he says. “My biggest goal is to become an athletic trainer for a sports team. It’s always been a goal of mine to truly enjoy my job, so being revolved around sports would be the best option for me.”
Marcus gleams with optimism when speaking of his future, knowing that through both his individual ambition and CSF’s strong network of alumni and supporters, he will discover thrilling opportunities to make his dreams a reality.
Look for success stories about Marcus’s two other siblings in the coming weeks.