“Growing up, I had amazing role models in school,” says Marcellis Perkins ’19, a sociology major and basketball player from Virginia. “My coaches and teachers pushed me to be who I am today.”
At 21, Perkins is acutely aware of the importance of such individuals in his own young life. Determined to pay their efforts forward, he lives each day with a simple motto in mind: “Be the person you needed when you were younger.”
“I told myself, I want to be that person. You never know how the small [amount of] time you share with people can impact their lives,” he says.
Perkins was recruited to Holy Cross for basketball in 2013. Although he had never been to New England, the school’s commitment to service and its mission statement really resonated with him.
“I firmly believe in doing well for humanity,” he says. “During my visits to Holy Cross, I met a couple of professors who encouraged me not to think just about basketball, but also the academic portion and the [personal] growth that could come here.”
On the Court
Ultimately, Perkins decided to leave the warm neighborhoods of Chesapeake, Virginia, and take on the cold winters on Mount St. James. He played his first year, despite a previous surgery that prevented him from fully engaging on the court. He suffered a new injury to his shoulder this past August, and was forced to sit out games following surgery in October.
Despite his personal setbacks, Perkins has stayed committed to his team, attending practices and encouraging fellow players. And that commitment on the court, says coach Bill Carmody, is indicative of Perkins’ overall character. “He’s a hard worker, and usually people who work hard on the court work hard on other things,” he adds. “It carries over.”
In the Classroom
Indeed, Perkins has approached his entire college experience with tremendous passion. During his time in Monserrat, the College’s first-year student program that introduces the liberal arts through interdisciplinary seminars and residence hall living, he was fascinated by a course with Professor Virginia Ryan titled “Exploring Difference.”
“It really opened my eyes to talking about people that are different from us, but not separating ourselves from them,” Perkins recalls. “We can acknowledge people are different from us, but I don’t think we should separate ourselves from them or approach them from a place of superiority.”
On Air
Montserrat was also the inspiration for “The Back Room,” Perkins’ show on WCHC, the campus radio station. The title stands for “Being Aware, Conscious and Knowledgeable of the Room and Spaces.”
“I invite students on the show and let them pick the conversation. We’ve talked relationships, race identity, immigration, social and economic class, hyper masculinity, depression within the male community and more.”
Last semester, Perkins invited two female classmates to the show, one from the Dominican Republic, the other from Puerto Rico. A listener called in and prompted a discussion about how the education system in the U.S. differs from where they grew up.
“It was cool to see that people were listening and calling in to ask questions,” he says.