Hey there,
My name is Marcos Romero-Turner and I am a mixed hispanic male of black and white heritage - along with a bunch of other things. Currently, I am 20 years old pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Social Entrepreneurship at Warner Pacific University now entering my junior year come August. I grew up in SE Portland, Oregon and that is all I ever have known, on the other hand that is one thing I plan to evolve.
You probably clicked on this blog post out of curiosity, if so, thank you for tuning in! I thought I would tell a little bit more about myself and my story. I have learned that by embracing who you are, and what your story is, it can take you places.
Not only that, but it showcases leadership, determination and a whole lot of vulnerability. It may even inspire those who are interested and that is what I am all about. Moreover, I aim to make a positive impact in my community and motivate those who come from similar backgrounds. To build a voice and a positive mindset in those who feel like they can’t, is another strong goal of mine, so here it is.
Growing up
I never knew my real parents. Likewise, I was close with my mom until I was 3 years old and I never met my dad at all, which I seek to change very soon. My mother gave birth to me at a very young age of 16 going on 17. She was very young to be the mother she wanted to be. So, when I was about 3 years old, she decided to go to Mexico to find my dad, and that resulted in me being left here in Portland, Oregon. However, I wasn’t completely alone. When my mother decided to go, I was left in the possession of my grandparents. They made the decision to step in and raise me because there was almost no other choice. I always like to thank God for them. Otherwise, I probably would have gone to Mexico with my mom and have a whole different life.
On the other hand, growing up I was surrounded by my grandparents and my church community out in Newberg, Oregon. I have to give my grandparents a lot of credit for stepping in and also making sure I was well taken care of due to the circumstances. I would say they had the hardest job at the time to assure that "childhood me" would not get stuck in a hole of bad thoughts - meaning : me missing my mother and wondering what really was going on. Until I was old enough to understand, I say that my grandparents did their job.
I grew up off of 54th Ave in deep SE Portland, and I can say that it was pretty lowkey. My grandparents did their best with what they had at the time to assure that I was going to be ok and my upbringing will be healthy. I enjoyed it and I was on this block my whole childhood until I turned 13 years old. Overall, I would not change a thing about my upbringing - it all happened for a reason.
Education
My mom dropped out of high school and as far as my dad goes, I do not know. Thus, I made it my motive to defy the odds and make sure I do well in school. All my life I have only known of going to school and honestly, I fell in love with learning. Also, I understood quickly that I wanted to make an impact and be the first of my immediate family to make it far in school - creating the path forward for future generations to come.
For my elementary years , I went to a small charter school called Portland Arthur Academy near Mt. Tabor. That school kept me safe because my grandparents were not trying to risk putting me in a bigger school environment, and that resulted in being the same for my middle school and high school years. Let me tell you, I am glad they did that for me because I struggled deeply with anxiety and plus, I was thriving in a small school environment so why put me in a bigger one?
When middle school and high school was around the corner, there was Mt. Scott Learning Center, the place that truly changed my life and made the biggest impact as I was getting older. Going into a new school can always be stressful and it will definitely fill one with a ton of anxiety, at least for me it did.
When I first walked into the doors of Mt. Scott, I found a home that allowed me to develop successfully into someone I never knew I could be. With the help of the staff and overall community there, it assisted me to learn how to break out of my shell, embrace a positive go-getter mindset and be successful. After middle school, I made the choice to stay to continue on for high school there and that is where things picked up.
My high school experience at Mt. Scott was definitely one for the ages. In my time there, I found my first mentor, Dan Gaul (CTO, co-founder of Digital Trends), got a life changing opportunity within him which was the business camp, YEBW. After attending that business program, it opened up many doors and I began to build my network. Following that, I was given strong guidance from the schools’ director, Tom DeJardin, who kept an eye on me as the end of my years were zeroing in at Mt. Scott. When it came time to apply for scholarships and the realism of me graduating high school and seeing how college was closer to being a reality, Tom DeJardin stepped in and urged me to apply for the Act Six leaders scholarship.
Long story short, I went for it and after a hefty process and a lot of hard work, I got it and ended up going to college as the first in my family on a full need tuition scholarship.
(see video below)
Transitioning Into "The Now"
Currently, as an upcoming junior at Warner Pacific University, I look forward to finishing up my degree and continuing to pursue this new hobby.
These past couple weeks have definitely been rejuvenating for me as I have begun this photography venture. I aim to motivate & inspire those around me with capturing beautiful imagery to showcase the authenticity within each one. A picture can truly say a thousand words.
Thank YOU if you have made it this far into the post, I truly appreciate the support and feedback I have received since I started.
