Marquis Victor is a new professor at Northern Essex Community College who teaches Intro to Film Studies and Communication through Film. He started teaching spring 2020, not only as a way to scratch that teaching itch he’s had, but also to contribute to the college’s education offering in the city. He wants to “expose Lawrence youth to the structure, ideas and forms of film and why it is such a powerful art medium,” Victor says.

Although Victor is just getting started with teaching, he’s been a leader for some time now. He earned his Master of Arts from Lesley University in Education and he is currently getting a doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership at Northeastern University. On top of getting his master’s and starting to teach, and continuing his education, he is also the Founding Executive Director of Elevated Thought. Elevated Thought is a social justice based curriculum that serves as the foundation for the creative youth development curriculum, based in Lawrence. Victor leads ET’s mission: to develop various arts.

Art is important, and staying as creative as possible is important to open your mind, especially during times like these. Though art may not be quite for everyone, both art and film play a huge role in Victor’s family. “I create every day with my 3 year old daughter (a lot of painting) and I make sure to write poetry everyday. Me and my wife watch a couple films a week,” he says.