MEET MARCUS
There is an undeniable resilience within the human spirit. Marcus Jackson – the charismatic “Mr. Marcus” to the children and families at The Learning Circle (TLC) – both epitomizes resilience in his own life and nurtures it in the children in his classroom. The common thread is the YMCA, whose vision and values of building strength in mind, body, and spirit, and encourage and sustain Marcus. The Y has supported him through family health challenges, financial uncertainty during his tenure with the Y, and the development of the exceptional teaching skills he brings to his classroom each day.
Marcus is the proud father of 6-year-old twins, Maximillian and Ezekial, whom he shares with his partner Haitao Jiang. Maxie was born with a medical condition that required surgery on the first day of his life, followed by years of additional procedures and extended hospital stays. Marcus found steady support at the Y. “Everyone has been so amazing and caring,” he says. The Y helped Marcus navigate his work schedule on days he needed to be at the hospital with Maxie. The Y also provided Marcus and Haitao with scholarships for both sons to attend The Learning Circle.
Irrepressibly upbeat, Marcus imbues his teaching with energy, compassion, and dedication. “I am always in good spirits. My favorite day of the week is Monday.” Using the weekend to rejuvenate, Marcus celebrates every day: “We all wake up; we are all blessed to be working.” He also leads by example, participating in the employee giving campaign for the Y’s Community Strong Campaign.
Marcus believes in modeling behavior for young children. “In Pre-K, children are like sponges, so they learn from what they see and hear. You should just have it in your mindset to always do the right thing. Whether you are in the Y facility or outside of your role, the children are watching.” Building character, self-awareness, and empathy are constants in Marcus’s approach. When the children see what he does and connect strongly with him, they follow and copy his positive actions and behavior.
Empathy is a lesson that Marcus teaches intentionally. He describes a recent encounter between two children who were arguing in his class. To diffuse the situation, he provided space for each child to see the other’s perspective and involved them in finding a solution together. “I heard one child at a time without interruptions and I asked them how it felt for each of them.” He continued, “Now that you heard how they feel, does it make you feel happy that you made the other kid sad? What can we do differently? How can we change this problem? I tried to get them to see, hear, and feel the other child’s side.”
Marcus epitomizes the Y’s approach, “We are a community and I am their mentor. I want people to know they can trust me and rely on me. Without those two things, what do you have?” He stresses that it is important for a child to be able to separate their actions from their identity. He wants them to realize, “I am not my behavior. You may do something bad, but you are still a good person. I learned that through my own family. I was a great kid. Why? Because I never heard any adult in my family say I was a bad kid.”
Learning to live peacefully in community, with others of diverse cultures, backgrounds, and socioeconomic profiles, is an invaluable lesson for TLC’s children. It is one that Marcus learned through his time at the Y. “As a person, your environment and culture shape you. The Y is a melting pot – it makes you curious about others.” He started working at the Y 20+ years ago, first as a janitor, then helping out in before and after-care. Over time, Marcus got involved in fitness and became certified in a number of areas, teaching Zumba, Pound Fitness, Step Aerobics and Kid Zumba. “The Y saw things in me,” eventually exploring with Marcus the possibility of becoming a teacher, bringing his experience in art, photography, and cooking into class.
The message he conveys to everyone about the Y is, “Come be a part of my family. We can help you no matter where you are in life. If you need someone to talk to, we are always happy to listen to you. We may not have the solutions, but just hearing them, emotionally and mentally, can help someone a lot.”
