Marcus Crawford ‘19 is not a kid you want to get involved with.

He’s a troublemaker.

Or at least he used to be.

He’s the kid who messes around in class, if he decides to show up.

Or at least he used to.

He’s the kid who moved to Monarch sophomore year, leaving the “used to” behind.

Now, Marcus Crawford is your best friend.

Now, Marcus Crawford is friends with literally everyone.

He points at you in the hallway and gives you a hug
everytime he sees you.

He always calls you by your full name just because he likes the sound of it.

He never forgets to ask you how your day is going, even if it takes walking across B-Hall traffic to do so.

Marcus Crawford is now a senior at Monarch and is just shy of a ray of sunshine.

His bright yellow coat along with his matching hat and pants are hard to miss when walking through the halls of Monarch.

Spunky and never failing to make you smile, Crawford radiates love to everyone. But what most people don’t realize is this positivity didn’t come without something behind it.

“I choose to live life day by day, moment by moment,” Crawford said. He believes that positivity is not the luck of the draw, but a mindset you have control over.

Positivity is something Crawford has given to the whole world. He has become a vital light in the lives of those around him, but most importantly, in his own.

Crawford has missed his fair share of classes. 171 class periods missed because of school suspensions. 56 block periods Crawford didn’t attend. This is 28 Wednesdays, his favorite day of the week because, “they move slowly,” he said. Most students dread the long block periods that come with Wednesdays because they go so slow, but for someone like Crawford, it is easy to love things that take time. However, that hasn’t always come naturally.

Crawford is no stranger to drug abuse and mental health issues. Whether it is with his sobriety or his own internal obstacles, he has come to learn the importance of taking time to focus in on those aspects of his life, and give them a lot of attention and time.

“I try to keep myself as my main focus in life because it is so easy to get caught up in other people’s drama,” he said.

In years previous, it was an uphill battle for him to take control of his life and fight against the thing he used to be most focused on.

“Previously in my life, drugs were my main focus, and I wasn’t really taking the time I needed to focus on my future and my mental health in general,” he said.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, “by the time they are seniors, almost 70% of high school students will have tried alcohol, half will have taken an illegal drug, nearly 40% will have smoked a cigarette, and more than 20% will have used a prescription drug for a non medical purpose.”

It is not unusual for teens to deal with issues with drugs, alcohol, and their mental health. What is unusual is coming back from them.

“One thing that has helped me is just doing things I enjoy doing,” Crawford said.

This was simply put, but speaks volumes to what has gotten him through some of the hardest times of his life.

Pastimes he lost sight of for a while are making a comeback in his life. Hobbies like biking and drawing have been vital activities that take his mind off the stresses he has overcome.

An aspect of Crawford’s life that has constantly changed, but crucially benefits him, is his friends.

“I’ll be friends with literally anybody,” Crawford said. These words shine through when first meeting Crawford. He takes the time to really make you comfortable and, from then on, commits to getting to know you.

Jane Stark ‘19, one of his best friends, agrees.

“He’s not afraid to express himself in the way that maybe other people don’t have the courage [to do],” she said. This outgoing quality attracts all kinds of people, who Crawford embraces with open arms and a smile.

“The biggest thing I hope people know from being friends with me is that I will always be there for you, even when you’re not there for me,” Crawford said.

Many people in his life have not influenced him in a way he really needs them to, but if that friendship breaks off, the love from Crawford never goes away.

Stark said, “We knew each other in middle school and immediately reconnected when he moved back to Monarch.

Not only that, but “He has made me more aware of, I guess, being able to express myself and be more confident in myself.”

Crawford tends to do this to many people, bringing out the best, oftentimes the happiest, version of themselves.

“Thanksgiving break, actually, I was parked outside my house, getting ready to leave for my grandparents, and I was sitting in my car with my sister. Marcus ran up to my window and knocked on it,” Stark said. “He doesn’t live anywhere near me, so it was really odd. I was under the assumption that he was just walking in the neighborhood and saw me. After that, he just walked back around the corner to what I assumed was his car. I never saw where he came from and never saw where he went.” This story that perfectly shows Crawford’ spontaneity. A trait he is well known for by his friends and even those who don’t know him.

For Marcus Crawford, walking on sunshine is an understatement. He is the sunshine, shining on the soul of each person he meets, every day and every moment of his life.