Community. A simple noun, but one layered with meaning. It can describe both a group of people living in the same place or sharing similar characteristics; but can also mean a particular area, place, or city.
When it comes to Marcus Randolph II, a junior at Wittenberg University, it is a particularly motivating word, and he is doing everything in his power to help his community back home.
Randolph grew up in the inner city of Memphis, Tennessee, a place that instilled in him what he calls an “underdog mentality.”
“It’s a different mindset,” Randolph explained. “It’s a mindset that you have to prove something and even when you move away, that mindset stays with you.”
With that mindset, this city clearly means a lot to Marcus and his parents. Randolph said his parents were very involved in the progression of the Memphis community and this set a good example for what his ideal career path looks like.
His mother, a nurse, was more than just a caregiver in the hospital. “She was a mother figure to a lot of kids in the community,” he said. His father, meanwhile, took a hands-on role as an activist, dedicating countless hours to youth and education programs.
Through organizations like Memphis lift--which helps young people stay out of trouble and build their careers--Dads 4 Gangs, a program that provides father figures and mentorship to the youth in the community, and the Shelby County Board Watch, which monitors and analyzes the school systems while guiding parents through the process, Randolph’s father became a pillar of the local community. Just as his parents gave back, Randolph hopes to do the same in his life.
Driven by his passion for helping the community, Randolph is looking to finish his career at Wittenberg University with a degree in sociology and a criminology focus. No matter what his career path looks like, one thing that held true was Randolph's desire to return home to Memphis following his studies.
When asked about his dream career path, Randolph emphasized this commitment. “I want to work in Memphis. In the FBI, surveillance, analyst, maybe an information specialist. I want to make people in the community’s lives better.”
His time at Wittenberg has further prepared him for that path. A course on family violence, he said, gave him valuable insight into recognizing and addressing difficult issues like domestic abuse—knowledge he believes will be crucial in his future career.
For Randolph, though, his ultimate goal is simple: to be remembered as someone who helped others. Beyond his reputation as a funny, outgoing, and personable student, he hopes to be seen as someone who lifted his community up and worked to make life better for those around him.
