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Some of you may remember Marshall Shanks from earlier blogs and videos we produced. Marshall came from a rough neighborhood in Memphis, and his mother knew early on the public schools in their area would not cut it for him. She worried about his academic prospects and the likelihood of him being bullied or pulled into a bad crowd at the schools in their district.

Thankfully, Marshall’s mother was able to access school choice through a scholarship program that allowed him to attend a private school nearby instead. We’ve followed Marshall’s progress over the years and watched as he excelled in school, sports, and band, and we’ve shared in all of his triumphs.

Marshall is now at Fisk University where he was recently elected Senator of Religion. During his first semester, he has also been working a part-time job on campus, participating in community service every Thursday, and quickly working towards a spot on the honor roll. He also plans to run on the track team this year. Despite his tremendous workload, Marshall has somehow found time to also become an entrepreneur. He recently launched a new business producing and editing videos on campus and is working to grow his client base.

Marshall has proven himself to be an ambitious and dynamic young man and we couldn’t be prouder of his accomplishments. His story is an incredible example of what can happen when a bright young person is given the opportunities to succeed, but it is also a somber reminder of how many children in our state still don’t get that chance. It’s important that we continue to work towards school choice reform in our state so that no child is stuck in a failing school. Let’s let Marshall’s story serve as a reminder of all the potential that is yet to be unleashed in our state.

You can watch the video we did with Marshall here.