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Each year The Success Fund recognizes educators that go "above and beyond". Click the link below for this year's nomination form - due May 31!
Kevin Hershock
Read more about the success of a recent Marshall graduate, Kevin Hershock »Details
Alumni Spotlight
The Success Fund is proud to have selected 2006 Marshall HighSchool graduate Kevin Hershock for our Alumni Spotlight. You can also view our past Spotlight honorees.
Biography
Throughout his time in Marshall, Kevin was involved in the Student Council, and the Football, Basketball, Baseball, and Track teams. After graduation in 2006, he attended Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan to play football. It is here where he started a business called Be A Number.
If you ask Kevin what the story is behind starting Be A Number, he will tell you that the story behind it is simply wanting to have a story. He was writing in his journal one night about knowing that he could do more. So he wrote out a list of his influences and one of them was his 11 year old sister, Abigail, who currently attends Marshall Middle School. By taking the One for One business concept that was popularized by Toms Shoes, Kevin wanted to make a version of his own. He knew, because of Abigail, that the smallest things can sometimes make the biggest difference to a child. So he created a line of T-shirts that symbolized a life changing concept. Every shirt is made with an individual "Order #" on the back, and when it's purchased, an identical shirt with the matching "Order #" is given away to an underprivileged child from around the world. Basically connecting two people together and making the world a smaller place. These shirts come with a simple message that someone is thinking about them and that, through passion and hard work, they can change the world. It's a simple business that is not trying to end poverty, but rather give hope to the kids who are stuck in it.
So far, Be A Number has given hope to children on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, the Dominican Republic, PKS Kids from around the world, and orphans of the Baltic Sea area. If you wish to see footage of his "shirt drop" in the Dominican Republic click the link (http://tinyurl.com/25e2n7c). For more information on Be A Number, visit http://www.beanumber.org/. After Kevin graduates in December he plans to take Be A Number to a new and exciting level.
Personal Statement
The education that I received in the Marshall Public School System not only prepared me academically for one of the best colleges in the nation, but more importantly instilled the confidence in me that I can change the world. I received the early part of my education in Detroit and moved to Marshall in the 6th grade. I remember being extremely nervous for the new atmosphere, students, and teachers. But that nervousness quickly subsided as not only the teachers, but the students, were more than welcoming of a new student. I think that small example shows the quality of teachers and students that Marshall's schools posses. I had amazing teachers who really found the right balance between making me feel comfortable in class and at the same time pushing me to give my best effort. Mrs. Krueger, Ms. Magnus, Mr. and Mrs. Unruh, Mr. Ritter, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Barnes are just some of the teachers that come to my mind immediately when I think of the amazing experience that I had in Marshall Public Schools. I can truly say that with their positive and creative ways of teaching students, not only about school but about life in general, I would not be who I am today.