The Decision to Pursue Higher Education: A Personal Journey

For Marvin, the decision to pursue higher education was a significant one. As a child who had faced numerous challenges, including student debt and financial struggles, he knew that this opportunity would provide him with a chance to create a better future for himself. "Getting a graduate degree will provide me the opportunity to have more chances to be an executive leader in a nonprofit organization or to be a professor at a college or university," Marvin said.

Marvin's journey began when his family decided to send him to Ken State University, where he was able to stay connected with his community and continue to engage with the organization that had supported him. After graduation, Marvin was brought on board as an employee of the organization, paying it forward with the things that he had received.

Marvin's experience is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination. Despite facing numerous challenges, including student debt and financial struggles, he remained committed to his goals and worked hard to achieve them. "I think if I would have had the opportunity to have Healthcare and be able to see doctors through high school and through college, uh with the different injuries that I had, I think my career and my life would look a lot different," Marvin said.

For those who are considering pursuing higher education, Marvin's story offers valuable insights and encouragement. "I love animals but I also love math so I'm really not sure about what I want to do," says one student. "I think I want to do both and then hopefully get to relax." However, this student's concerns are echoed by many others who are struggling with the financial implications of higher education.

One student shared their own story of worrying about how they would pay for college. "To know that I'm continuing to take on more is a bit of a concern," they said. "I think if I would have had the opportunity to have Healthcare and be able to see doctors through high school and through college, uh with the different injuries that I had, I think my career and my life would look a lot different."

For some students, financial struggles are just one aspect of their journey. Others may face challenges related to mobility or access to resources. "We're driving to the neighborhood that I live in these neighborhoods are riddled with abandoned buildings boarded homes liquor stores and violence," said another student. "You see it so often with kids that we work with with ushers new look."

Despite these challenges, many students remain committed to their goals and work hard to achieve them. One student shared their plan for paying off student loan debt, which includes opting into income-based repayment plans and continuing to work in the public sector to qualify for loan forgiveness.

For those who are considering higher education, it is essential to take a critical look at one's financial situation and make informed decisions about how to manage debt. It is also crucial to prioritize self-care and seek support from loved ones, mentors, or professionals when needed. By doing so, individuals can navigate the challenges of higher education and emerge stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for success.

The Power of Personal Storytelling

Marvin's story offers a powerful example of how personal experiences can shape our goals and aspirations. His journey from student to graduate school is a testament to his perseverance and determination. "He really wants to fight for them and cuz some of the struggle he saw at growing up with things that he couldn't do but he wanted to do," says one observer.

For many students, hearing personal stories like Marvin's can be incredibly empowering. It offers a glimpse into the challenges they may face and provides reassurance that they are not alone. "The old saying if you love what you do you never work a day in your life," said another student. This sentiment is echoed by many who are passionate about their fields of study and are determined to pursue careers that align with their values.

The Importance of Support Networks

For Marvin, having a support network was crucial to his success. His family's decision to send him to Ken State University provided him with the opportunity to stay connected with his community and continue to engage with the organization that had supported him.

Similarly, for many students, having a strong support network is essential to navigating the challenges of higher education. This can include loved ones, mentors, professors, or peers who provide encouragement, guidance, and emotional support. "He has really been able to utilize his story of student death and just his experience in college as a teachable moment for our students," said one observer.

By surrounding themselves with supportive individuals, students can build resilience and confidence, which are essential for overcoming obstacles and achieving their goals. It is also crucial to recognize that everyone's journey is unique, and it is okay to ask for help when needed.

The Value of Public Service

For Marvin, public service has always been a calling. "He wants to see to it that other people don't have the same struggles," said one observer. This sentiment is echoed by many who are drawn to careers in public service or non-profit work.

Public service offers numerous benefits, including opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and making a positive impact on society. By pursuing careers in public service, individuals can contribute to their communities and make a difference in the lives of others.

In conclusion, Marvin's story offers valuable insights into the importance of perseverance, determination, and support networks in achieving success. It also highlights the value of public service and the power of personal storytelling in inspiring others to pursue their goals. By sharing his experiences, Marvin has created a ripple effect that will continue to inspire and motivate others for years to come.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso many white they ask where IIT in right there at the top no we won't fail us we won't fail we won't fail even though we get my father taught us that as a man in life there are only two things that people can't take away from you your integrity and your word and your education I think I've been angry and upset about the the student loan crisis in our country and I was someone who had a blueprint to pay for college uh and it didn't work out and I've had to take on an astronomical uh amount of debt it doesn't make sense as to why uh We As Americans have to go through so much just to receive a quality education when Marvin was growing up I always wanted them to know that the way to open the door to the Future was through education and being African-American it was even more important College was a must it it wasn't an option as a black man in America today with $78,000 of debt I have a very small margin of error I have to be twice as good as everyone else around me I have to worry every day uh am I going to come home uh after I've I've left the house I have to worry about different ways that uh you know myself and people like me are disenfranchised all those kinds of things are things that I have to think about and things that I have to consider uh that may present barriers for me being successful growing up in my house I grew up with my father and my older sister my parents got divorced uh when I was pretty young I was 3 years old my mom was pretty much not a part of my life but for the most part I think my dad made up for the love that was missing my father instilled a pride in me in my history and culture uh first and foremost by loving me uh and teaching me how to love myself unfortunately there are things in our society that uh sometimes promote people of color of thinking that they're less than and my father wanted me to understand that we came from a beautiful people with a long line of History my father was a skilled trades electrician for Deli Automotive which was a GM company he was a former drug dealer and alcoholic and Drug abuser and for his kids he wanted to change his life because he wanted to be a good father and a good example I did the the big three that's the Big Mac marijuana alcohol and cocaine and I tried not to be drunk in front of the kids but nobody's really capable of doing that you manage as well as you manage I had no idea the things that women went through raising kids by themselves but I learned I had a lot of good times with my kids the reason that Marvin I believe was able to flourish and persevere is because when he was young there was periods where I had Lucidity and I taught Marvin some real important lessons and Marvin developed a good strength of character he had to take responsibility cuz I wasn't responsible enough my father taught me the value of a dollar and the money was important but he himself did not know how to properly manage or properly invest money and much like most either first generation college students or young black people from an impoverished area we don't know a lot about managing money uh a 401k savings account those are things that we are not necessarily taught from a young age and so when it comes to something like an education it's like oh okay just you know take out the Lo you'll be fine all right let's go for me Sports is everything um it provides my competitive nature I grew up in a place like Warren is still Sports and God and particularly in that order and I didn't want to work in a steel mill but I certainly wanted to be an athlete I was heavily recruited in football I was All-American in trackon field I was one of the centerpieces of the greatest track ofi team to ever come through warranty Hardy playing sports was definitely my te to go to college I knew that Sports was going to be the way that not only I was going to go to school but going to be the way that I went to school for free how y'all doing is that Jama May right there Marvin Logan I ain't seen you since like we graduated from high school war in Ohio is is certainly an interesting place and there wasn't a lot of Hope growing up in waren you saw lots of things change you saw a booming small town uh you know Whittle down bending buildings everywhere uh folks losing their jobs losing their homes losing their cars when I was young I I had some issues with behavior I would get into a lot of fights most of it began when I got older and realized the complexity of situation with my parents divorcing that mixed with some of the difficulties of growing up in my area used to cause me to get into a lot of trouble into school my cousin Derek TOS had retired from the NFL he had moved back home and started a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving youth opportunities that otherwise they wouldn't have I was able to really get involved with uh the organization that's called inspiring Minds our whole goal as an organization was to take our students out and specifically students like Marvin and show them the world and just show them that you know what look here's someone that looks like you and they came from the same environment that you came from but look they made it and this is how they did it so the Milwaukee trip that we went on was actually our first trip it was so big in Marvin's life because he was able to sit in front of at that time probably one of the biggest stars and Usher in the in the game I remember all the kids were really excited and uh Usher came in and I thought to myself you know how many times am I going to get the opportunity to meet a mogul Entertainer business person and so I got to make this count and so I literally uh when it was over I just walked up to him I just saw a student who uh who just needed a little more exposure we just kind of struck a bond and uh he inspired me you know through the hardships and the the obstacles that he had to overcome and he always found a way to still stay enthusiastic and and just really lead from that trip he was able to go to different camps and he built relationships and those were Priceless I felt the experiences that we were able to provide for him showed him that you know what I'm going to do something with myself and I can if Derek had not come back into my life at that point we probably wouldn't be having this interview the cost of college never crossed our minds I was a standout athlete in high school and I thought hey man I'm going to go out here I'm going to win championships and get an education and somebody else is going to FP the bill and I'm never going to have to worry about it Kent State made me feel wanted I just felt like I want to make an investment in a place that's making an investment in me I needed to take out loans when I was a freshman to uh cover all of the different things that you know weren't included in my scholarship like clothes and a laptop and also at the time I didn't have health insurance and so the loan money was also helping me to cover uh my doctor's expenses I think at at 18 I had no idea the kind of responsibility that I would be taking on with loans I had no clue I just knew I needed money and here was an easy way to get some when Marvin was in college I did finally make a decision to live different all the things that I learned in rehab and counseling and all the meetings I put that stuff into practice and then I was able to make a commitment to God and to my church and everything kind of started falling into place cuz I started doing what I was supposed to do instead of what I wanted to do cuz I realized if I kept living the way that I was living I was going to kill myself when I first got to school all of those nagging injuries through high school that I was able to run through and that I was able to compete through started getting worse and worse and then I reinjured my back and unfortunately this time you know I wasn't able to run through it at the time I wasn't even sure if school was going to continue to be an option for me that was a substantial amount of money that I was going to have to figure out how to come up with he was in a deep dark place I know it was heavy on him um he had been through so much and he had finally made it but I just told him that you went to school to get a degree that's why you went to school to better yourself I think a lot of people would have quit at that point but what I admire about Marvin even at that hard and rough time he didn't want to go back to where he had came from I decided I want this degree I I want this education and I started taking out the maximum amount of of Federal loans it was at that time when I no longer was competing that I began to put all of my time uh in student leadership I served as president under the most diverse body the student government had ever seen and it provided the opportunity to be able to really have their voices heard and to push forth a lot of things on campus graduation was surreal for me I remember uh when my name was called and I walked across the stage and all the hard work from you know when I was a young kid and having all kinds of problems with my behavior doing things that could have landed me in prison to be able to to graduate with a college degree I cried a lot that day and I cried tears of joy and I was glad that I got to share it with my family since I've graduated I haven't had to make any payments on my undergraduate loans because I went straight into uh graduate school I am currently pursuing my Master's Degree at Clark Atlanta University in African-American studies it was one of my top choices and I didn't care what it took I just decided I was going to go I would have rather that he went to work for a while and saved some money and then decided to go to grad school but Marvin's old enough now to decide what he wants to do for himself I think uh getting a graduate degree will provide me the opportunity to have more chances to be an executive leader uh in a nonprofit organization or to be a a professor at a at a college or university my graduate program at Clark Atlanta cost almost $10,000 a semester in order to finish uh I'll be taking on a significant amount of debt upwards of $40,000 this is an awkward Turtle a turtle that's turned over on a shell and can't crawl so whenever there's an awkward situation then you have an awkward Turtle I've never heard a video I didn't ask you if you heard anything oh man the moving on when Marvin went off to college at uh Ken State we still were able to stay connected he made time to come down to Atlanta to still engage with the organization and so after graduation we were able to uh bring him on board now he's a gamefully employed with our organization and paying it forward with the things that he was able to receive he's able to give it back to our youth at ush New Look I work in operations and programs and I help our students develop uh career paths help them uh get into college connecting with people in the industries uh that they are are passionate in Marvin has really been able to utilize his story of student death and just his experience in college as a teachable moment for our students but having the real world application from Marvin is really invaluable to our students have you started thinking about how you want to pay for college oh yes and what you going to do scholarships 10th grade starting next year I'm applying for scholarships all the way until I graduate from high school I love animals but I also love math so I'm really not sure about what I want to do but I think I want to do both and then hopefully I get to relax but you know that you get to what relax I'm sorry I don't understand see I think at times I worry that maybe something will happen in my life and I won't be able to pay off my debt and to know that I'm continuing to take on more is a bit of a concern I think if I would have had the opportunity to have Healthcare and be able to see doctors through high school and through college uh with the different injuries that I had I think my career and my life would look a lot different I can't promise that I would have been able to go to the next level as an athlete but I certainly wouldn't have had to incur uh the amount of death that I have when I first moved to Atlanta I wasn't able to get my own apartment and eventually I was able to moved into a boarding house close to campus that's accessible for me to go to class and to go to work currently I share a space with uh seven other uh undergraduate students uh I have my own bedroom room and we share a bathroom and a kitchen it's challenging at times but it definitely uh suits my needs right now we're driving to the neighborhood that I live in these neighborhoods are riddled with abandoned buildings boarded homes liquor stores and violence you see it so often with kids that we work with with ushers new look where you go to their High School graduations and it's the biggest celebration that you've ever seen say because for one nobody ever expected them to get there and two nobody expect to ever celebrate anything in their lives ever again now you want to talk about some violence I go into any ghetto in America I will not drive through here at night I think uh understanding the impact of my debt is going to cause me to have to take a a real critical look at where I want to move on from my life from this point when what I like to get married one would I like to have children one would I like to buy a home I'm really confident that that same perseverance that he used to graduate high school graduate college he'll tap into those same skills to meet this challenge my plan for uh paying off of my student loan debt is to opt into income based repayment plans and to continue my work in the public sector uh to qualify for alone forgiveness so that I can be able to get the weight of that debt off of my shoulders you know the old saying if you love what you do you never work a day in your life that's really where his heart lies is servicing others taking care of people and helping people that can't help themselves he he wants to fight for them and cuz some of the struggle he saw at growing up with things that he couldn't do but he wanted to do he wants to see to it that other people don't have the same struggles the only thing that can stop me is me and if as long as I'm in check I'm always going to continue to climb higher and be successfulso many white they ask where IIT in right there at the top no we won't fail us we won't fail we won't fail even though we get my father taught us that as a man in life there are only two things that people can't take away from you your integrity and your word and your education I think I've been angry and upset about the the student loan crisis in our country and I was someone who had a blueprint to pay for college uh and it didn't work out and I've had to take on an astronomical uh amount of debt it doesn't make sense as to why uh We As Americans have to go through so much just to receive a quality education when Marvin was growing up I always wanted them to know that the way to open the door to the Future was through education and being African-American it was even more important College was a must it it wasn't an option as a black man in America today with $78,000 of debt I have a very small margin of error I have to be twice as good as everyone else around me I have to worry every day uh am I going to come home uh after I've I've left the house I have to worry about different ways that uh you know myself and people like me are disenfranchised all those kinds of things are things that I have to think about and things that I have to consider uh that may present barriers for me being successful growing up in my house I grew up with my father and my older sister my parents got divorced uh when I was pretty young I was 3 years old my mom was pretty much not a part of my life but for the most part I think my dad made up for the love that was missing my father instilled a pride in me in my history and culture uh first and foremost by loving me uh and teaching me how to love myself unfortunately there are things in our society that uh sometimes promote people of color of thinking that they're less than and my father wanted me to understand that we came from a beautiful people with a long line of History my father was a skilled trades electrician for Deli Automotive which was a GM company he was a former drug dealer and alcoholic and Drug abuser and for his kids he wanted to change his life because he wanted to be a good father and a good example I did the the big three that's the Big Mac marijuana alcohol and cocaine and I tried not to be drunk in front of the kids but nobody's really capable of doing that you manage as well as you manage I had no idea the things that women went through raising kids by themselves but I learned I had a lot of good times with my kids the reason that Marvin I believe was able to flourish and persevere is because when he was young there was periods where I had Lucidity and I taught Marvin some real important lessons and Marvin developed a good strength of character he had to take responsibility cuz I wasn't responsible enough my father taught me the value of a dollar and the money was important but he himself did not know how to properly manage or properly invest money and much like most either first generation college students or young black people from an impoverished area we don't know a lot about managing money uh a 401k savings account those are things that we are not necessarily taught from a young age and so when it comes to something like an education it's like oh okay just you know take out the Lo you'll be fine all right let's go for me Sports is everything um it provides my competitive nature I grew up in a place like Warren is still Sports and God and particularly in that order and I didn't want to work in a steel mill but I certainly wanted to be an athlete I was heavily recruited in football I was All-American in trackon field I was one of the centerpieces of the greatest track ofi team to ever come through warranty Hardy playing sports was definitely my te to go to college I knew that Sports was going to be the way that not only I was going to go to school but going to be the way that I went to school for free how y'all doing is that Jama May right there Marvin Logan I ain't seen you since like we graduated from high school war in Ohio is is certainly an interesting place and there wasn't a lot of Hope growing up in waren you saw lots of things change you saw a booming small town uh you know Whittle down bending buildings everywhere uh folks losing their jobs losing their homes losing their cars when I was young I I had some issues with behavior I would get into a lot of fights most of it began when I got older and realized the complexity of situation with my parents divorcing that mixed with some of the difficulties of growing up in my area used to cause me to get into a lot of trouble into school my cousin Derek TOS had retired from the NFL he had moved back home and started a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving youth opportunities that otherwise they wouldn't have I was able to really get involved with uh the organization that's called inspiring Minds our whole goal as an organization was to take our students out and specifically students like Marvin and show them the world and just show them that you know what look here's someone that looks like you and they came from the same environment that you came from but look they made it and this is how they did it so the Milwaukee trip that we went on was actually our first trip it was so big in Marvin's life because he was able to sit in front of at that time probably one of the biggest stars and Usher in the in the game I remember all the kids were really excited and uh Usher came in and I thought to myself you know how many times am I going to get the opportunity to meet a mogul Entertainer business person and so I got to make this count and so I literally uh when it was over I just walked up to him I just saw a student who uh who just needed a little more exposure we just kind of struck a bond and uh he inspired me you know through the hardships and the the obstacles that he had to overcome and he always found a way to still stay enthusiastic and and just really lead from that trip he was able to go to different camps and he built relationships and those were Priceless I felt the experiences that we were able to provide for him showed him that you know what I'm going to do something with myself and I can if Derek had not come back into my life at that point we probably wouldn't be having this interview the cost of college never crossed our minds I was a standout athlete in high school and I thought hey man I'm going to go out here I'm going to win championships and get an education and somebody else is going to FP the bill and I'm never going to have to worry about it Kent State made me feel wanted I just felt like I want to make an investment in a place that's making an investment in me I needed to take out loans when I was a freshman to uh cover all of the different things that you know weren't included in my scholarship like clothes and a laptop and also at the time I didn't have health insurance and so the loan money was also helping me to cover uh my doctor's expenses I think at at 18 I had no idea the kind of responsibility that I would be taking on with loans I had no clue I just knew I needed money and here was an easy way to get some when Marvin was in college I did finally make a decision to live different all the things that I learned in rehab and counseling and all the meetings I put that stuff into practice and then I was able to make a commitment to God and to my church and everything kind of started falling into place cuz I started doing what I was supposed to do instead of what I wanted to do cuz I realized if I kept living the way that I was living I was going to kill myself when I first got to school all of those nagging injuries through high school that I was able to run through and that I was able to compete through started getting worse and worse and then I reinjured my back and unfortunately this time you know I wasn't able to run through it at the time I wasn't even sure if school was going to continue to be an option for me that was a substantial amount of money that I was going to have to figure out how to come up with he was in a deep dark place I know it was heavy on him um he had been through so much and he had finally made it but I just told him that you went to school to get a degree that's why you went to school to better yourself I think a lot of people would have quit at that point but what I admire about Marvin even at that hard and rough time he didn't want to go back to where he had came from I decided I want this degree I I want this education and I started taking out the maximum amount of of Federal loans it was at that time when I no longer was competing that I began to put all of my time uh in student leadership I served as president under the most diverse body the student government had ever seen and it provided the opportunity to be able to really have their voices heard and to push forth a lot of things on campus graduation was surreal for me I remember uh when my name was called and I walked across the stage and all the hard work from you know when I was a young kid and having all kinds of problems with my behavior doing things that could have landed me in prison to be able to to graduate with a college degree I cried a lot that day and I cried tears of joy and I was glad that I got to share it with my family since I've graduated I haven't had to make any payments on my undergraduate loans because I went straight into uh graduate school I am currently pursuing my Master's Degree at Clark Atlanta University in African-American studies it was one of my top choices and I didn't care what it took I just decided I was going to go I would have rather that he went to work for a while and saved some money and then decided to go to grad school but Marvin's old enough now to decide what he wants to do for himself I think uh getting a graduate degree will provide me the opportunity to have more chances to be an executive leader uh in a nonprofit organization or to be a a professor at a at a college or university my graduate program at Clark Atlanta cost almost $10,000 a semester in order to finish uh I'll be taking on a significant amount of debt upwards of $40,000 this is an awkward Turtle a turtle that's turned over on a shell and can't crawl so whenever there's an awkward situation then you have an awkward Turtle I've never heard a video I didn't ask you if you heard anything oh man the moving on when Marvin went off to college at uh Ken State we still were able to stay connected he made time to come down to Atlanta to still engage with the organization and so after graduation we were able to uh bring him on board now he's a gamefully employed with our organization and paying it forward with the things that he was able to receive he's able to give it back to our youth at ush New Look I work in operations and programs and I help our students develop uh career paths help them uh get into college connecting with people in the industries uh that they are are passionate in Marvin has really been able to utilize his story of student death and just his experience in college as a teachable moment for our students but having the real world application from Marvin is really invaluable to our students have you started thinking about how you want to pay for college oh yes and what you going to do scholarships 10th grade starting next year I'm applying for scholarships all the way until I graduate from high school I love animals but I also love math so I'm really not sure about what I want to do but I think I want to do both and then hopefully I get to relax but you know that you get to what relax I'm sorry I don't understand see I think at times I worry that maybe something will happen in my life and I won't be able to pay off my debt and to know that I'm continuing to take on more is a bit of a concern I think if I would have had the opportunity to have Healthcare and be able to see doctors through high school and through college uh with the different injuries that I had I think my career and my life would look a lot different I can't promise that I would have been able to go to the next level as an athlete but I certainly wouldn't have had to incur uh the amount of death that I have when I first moved to Atlanta I wasn't able to get my own apartment and eventually I was able to moved into a boarding house close to campus that's accessible for me to go to class and to go to work currently I share a space with uh seven other uh undergraduate students uh I have my own bedroom room and we share a bathroom and a kitchen it's challenging at times but it definitely uh suits my needs right now we're driving to the neighborhood that I live in these neighborhoods are riddled with abandoned buildings boarded homes liquor stores and violence you see it so often with kids that we work with with ushers new look where you go to their High School graduations and it's the biggest celebration that you've ever seen say because for one nobody ever expected them to get there and two nobody expect to ever celebrate anything in their lives ever again now you want to talk about some violence I go into any ghetto in America I will not drive through here at night I think uh understanding the impact of my debt is going to cause me to have to take a a real critical look at where I want to move on from my life from this point when what I like to get married one would I like to have children one would I like to buy a home I'm really confident that that same perseverance that he used to graduate high school graduate college he'll tap into those same skills to meet this challenge my plan for uh paying off of my student loan debt is to opt into income based repayment plans and to continue my work in the public sector uh to qualify for alone forgiveness so that I can be able to get the weight of that debt off of my shoulders you know the old saying if you love what you do you never work a day in your life that's really where his heart lies is servicing others taking care of people and helping people that can't help themselves he he wants to fight for them and cuz some of the struggle he saw at growing up with things that he couldn't do but he wanted to do he wants to see to it that other people don't have the same struggles the only thing that can stop me is me and if as long as I'm in check I'm always going to continue to climb higher and be successful\n"