L-R-City Council Majority Leader Tasha Diaz, Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, Marcus Knight, Mayor Mike Spano, Marcus Knight Jr., YPS Superintendent Dr. Luis Rodriguez
By Dan Murphy
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, YPS Superintendent Dr. Luis Rodriguez and members of the City Council, honored 15-year-old Marcus Knight Jr, a shining star from the Barack Obama School for Social Justice.
Marcus has been selected as a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, taking place at Harvard University in summer 2024. His father, Marcus Knight, is a military veteran and 9/11 responder. He was later diagnosed with cancer. He says it was his illness that forced him to pour his heart and soul into his then 2-year-old son, Marcus Jr. At four, he was reading Harry Potter novels and was interested in chemistry and calculus.
Mayor Spano presented Marcus Knight Jr. with a proclamation at City Hall, which reads:
WHEREAS: Currently a high school sophomore attending the Barack Obama School for Social Justice, MARCUS KNIGHT, JR. has been nominated for multiple scholarships and has been given the unique opportunity to represent his school in the Harvard Congress of Future Medical Leaders in 2024; he has won numerous local and statewide competitions, including the Educational Super bowl, SMARTS Spelling Bee, as well as graduating at the top of his class, achieving High Honor Roll, and
WHEREAS: MARCUS KNIGHT, JR. also excels in athletics and has been a member of the 2022 Intramural Basketball Team at this school, as well as a member of the Yonkers Brave Football Team, and
WHEREAS: MARCUS KNIGHT, JR. is an avid supporter of his father’s non-profit organization, Hands Up Paid Forward (HUPF), where they surprise individuals with random acts of kindness, in addition to supporting families during times of tragedies, including school tragedies as well as food relief during the pandemic, and
WHEREAS: In addition to a rigorous academic schedule, MARCUS KNIGHT, JR. is also the part-time manager for the online business Knight Wear; he aspires to attend medical school and become a surgeon, so he can save and change lives, following in the footsteps of his parents, who have dedicated their lives to helping others, and
WHEREAS: The City of Yonkers raises its voice in tribute to MARCUS KNIGHT, JR., who serves as a role model to many and has made a difference and an impact on the lives of so many, who look to him with admiration.
NOW, THEREFORE I, MIKE SPANO, Mayor of the City of Yonkers, New York, do hereby proclaim this day, the 13th day of September 2023 to be MARCUS KNIGHT, JR. DAY
