Marcus Campbell learned to mine his experiences during the pandemic in 2020, along with the country’s ongoing social and racial unrest, for his first published book of poetry as a Mesa Community College (MCC) Creative Writing student.

His fall 2022 book tour for My Identity as a Stereotypical Side Character concluded with The Identity Tour Showcase at Mesa’s Nile Coffee Shop following the Mesa Book Festival on December 17, 2023.

The book came to fruition while studying in the MCC Creative Writing Program. “The cornerstone pieces of the text were written during my time in the program with much of the supplemental material coming about during the COVID lockdown,” Marcus explained. “A lot of the social and racial unrest provided me with the motivation necessary to complete the book.”

Marcus credits MCC for “helping me reach my career goals in almost every conceivable way. Foremost, they’ve helped me to realize my potential and make concrete steps toward fulfilling it.”

Earning an Associate in Arts, an Associate in General Studies, and an Academic Certificate in Creative Writing in 2019, Marcus found that year to be a benchmark for his poetry in addition to his education. That year he received a second-place Vortex Award, a creative writing and arts publication produced in collaboration with Scottsdale Community College. Moreover, he was honored with a second place award for the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) Artists of Promise Exhibition for his poem, “My Identity as a Stereotypical Side Character.” The poem appeared in Passages, a collection of works by MCCCD creative writing program poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, screenwriters, and playwrights.

“MCC was an alluring place to study because of its accessibility– to teachers, administrators, and advisors,” he explained. “It offered diverse opportunities and an engaged administration.”

He credits Creative Writing Faculty Member Josh Rathkamp and Journalism and New Media Studies Program Director Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez with significantly impacting his education. “Mr. Rathkamp and the Creative Writing Program were fundamental in getting my writing to a publishable state. He also showed me in concrete steps how to take my ideas and turn them into published work.”

Marcus added, “Professor Rodriguez opened my eyes to what my creativity could do for me professionally. She was the first person to present artistic skills as professional tools, which helped me see myself not only as a creative but as an artistic entrepreneur.”

Taking advantage of the social opportunities MCC has to offer, Marcus became the features editor of the Mesa Legend, the college newspaper, established the Mesa Legend Podcast, and performed his poetry at the annual MCC Festival of the Arts. He also was a proofreader for the Glendale Community College publication, The Traveler.

As his education progressed, Marcus became involved with the Green Flag Program, a partnership between the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and MCC, providing students with office space, business tools, and the resources needed to launch a new business venture in today’s competitive environment. “It has been a great way to gain access to the means of production.”

Marcus previously worked in the communications department at the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, where he was able to use creative skills in an environment that helped small businesses and nonprofits. He currently works in the marketing department at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. “I can use my creative skills every day in a fast-paced environment while spreading revelry,” he says. Marcus also operates Desert Nights Media, a small business that provides social media management.