DESERET NEWS - KSL STERLING SCHOLAR AWARDS

2017 STUDENT ENTRY FORM

Name Of Nominee: Marcus Cervantez

School: Academy for Math Engineering and Science Category: Social Science

Personal Biography
Being born in Salt Lake, my life has nearly been a case study about being a minority. Growing up, I was always a minority. Even my
name, Marcus Cervantez, was an exotic abnormality in my otherwise homogeneous elementary school. Being a bit of an outsider offered
me a unique opportunity to look inward from a space that was foreign to my peers. It is because of this that I have thrown myself into my
studies. I have worked hard to learn about the world around me. That knowledge has empowered me to become an active citizen. Being
honored as a Sterling Scholar would allow me to continue to advance my education. It also has the potential to provide a platform for me
to continue to make a difference.

American College Testing (ACT) -

English: 32 Math: 31 Reading: 30 Sci./Reasoning: 33 Composite: 32

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) -

Reading: Mathematics: Writing:

Grade Point Average: 3.982 Class Ranking: 9/105

Supporting Attachment - Transcript

MARCUS BENJAMIN CERVANTEZ
1970 WOODSIDE DRIVE
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84124
(801)971-8147
Student Transcript
SSID: 1468902 AMES (District Level)
Gender: M
ID: 2126 ACDMY FOR MATH ENG & SCI
Birth Date: 2/4/2000
Grade: 12 5715 South 1300 East
Grad Year: 2018 Salt Lake City, UT 84121
(801)278-9460

State Term Grades

Grade
Site Core Code Description Credit 1 2 3 4 5 6
2014-2015 School Year
9 Academy for Math Engr 09040000040 AP Human Geography 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 08020000010 Biology H 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 08020000010 Biology H 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.250 P P P P
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 32020000240 Computer Tech 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 08040000010 Earth Science 0.500 A A
9 & Sci
Academy for Math Engr 08040000010 Earth Science 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 06020000045 English 9 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 06020000045 English 9 0.500 A A
9 & Sci - Electronic H S
USOE 01000000100 Financial Literacy 0.500 A A
9 Academy for Math Engr 04020000030 Fitness for Life *0.500 P P
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 09040000040 Human Geography H 0.500 A A
9 & Sci
Academy for Math Engr 07080000105 Sec. Math 2 H 0.500 A- A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 07080000105 Sec. Math 2 H 0.500 A A
& Sci
9 Academy for Math Engr 03070000031 Spanish 3 0.500 A A-
9 & Sci
Academy for Math Engr 03070000031 Spanish 3 0.500 A A
& Sci School Year Credit: 7.75 School Year GPA: 3.976 * = Not included in GPA
2015-2016 School Year
10 Academy for Math Engr 02010000021 AP Art History 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 09050000025 AP World History 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 09050000025 AP World History 0.500 A A-
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 08030000012 Chemistry H 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 08030000012 Chemistry H 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.125 P P
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.125 P P
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 06020000055 English 10 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 06020000055 English 10 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 04050000010 Health 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 07080000115 Sec. Math 3 H 1.000 A A A A
10 & Sci
Academy for Math Engr 03070000041 Spanish CE 1010 0.500 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 03070013062 Spanish CE 1010 0.250 A A
& Sci
10 Academy for Math Engr 04020000056 Swim Team 0.500 A A
& Sci School Year Credit: 6.50 School Year GPA: 3.987 * = Not included in GPA
2016-2017 School Year
11 Academy for Math Engr 07040000001 AP Calculus 1.000 A- A- A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 09050000060 AP US History H 0.500 A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 09050000060 AP US History H 0.500 A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.125 P P
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.125 P P
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 06020000065 English 11 1.000 A A A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 41000000030 Internship 1.000 A A A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 08060000020 Physics H 1.000 A A A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 03070000081 Spanish AP 1.000 A A A A
& Sci
11 Academy for Math Engr 04020000056 Swim Team 1.000 A A A A
& Sci School Year Credit: 7.25 School Year GPA: 3.976 * = Not included in GPA
2017-2018 School Year
12 Academy for Math Engr 09070000001 AP Psychology 0.500 A A
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 15000000008 College Forum *0.125 P P
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 02010000045 Drawing I 0.500 A A
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 25020000030 Peer Tutor *0.500 P P
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 04020000056 Swim Team 0.500 A A
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 07040013020 U of U College Algebra 1050 0.500 A A
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 06010013080 U of U Race & Gender 2001 0.500 A A
& Sci
12 Academy for Math Engr 06010013116 U of U Writing 1010 0.500 A A
& Sci School Year Credit: 3.63 School Year GPA: 4.000 * = Not included in GPA
Transcript Summary Cumulative Credit: 25.13 Cumulative GPA: 3.982 Class Rank: 9 of 105 (ranked 1/18/2018 at
ACDMY FOR MATH ENG & SCI)
Mark/GPA Value: A=4.00 | A-=3.67 | B+=3.33 | B=3.00 | B-=2.67 | C+=2.33 | C=2.00 | C-=1.67 | D+=1.33 | D=1.00 | D-=.67 | F=.00
Citizenship Codes: H=Honor | N=Needs Improvement | S=Satisfactory | U=Unsatisfactory

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MARCUS BENJAMIN CERVANTEZ Student Transcript
Civics Exam Passed
ACT Date Composite English English/Writing Mathematics Reading Science
10/2016 26 25 10 28 23 27
2/2017 30 28 28 34 30
9/9/2017 32 32 9 31 30 33
12/9/2017 30 29 29 32 31
ACT test scores are not official. Official scores must be requested directly from ACT by the student.

(Not official unless signed and sealed)

___________________________________________ ______________________________ ___________________
Signature Title Date
Accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) a division of AdvancED
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Supporting Attachment - Letter of Recommendation
In 20 words or less, list up to six activities, honors and awards relating to your category.
1. Integrity Award from Youth Making A Difference
2. Accepted the Human Trafficking Justice Award from the state of Utah on behalf of Backyard Broadcast
3. Worked in a Therapeutic Preschool with children who have mental trauma, mental illness, and behavioral issues
4. Organized a march at the capitol to bring awareness for human trafficking at beginning of the 2017 legislative session
5. Worked on a large summit to raise awareness about Human Trafficking to schools in the Salt Lake Valley
6. Mediator for Trafficking awareness panel at Universe of Utah Symposium for the rights of victims

Choose one of the activities, honors or awards, describe it briefly and explain why it was meaningful to you. What did you learn
and what did you accomplish?
Over the past two summers, I worked in a therapeutic preschool. I was surrounded by screaming toddlers with paste in their hair and who
knows what sticky substance on their hands. I loved every minute of it. Each day began with our sharing circle. We sang to each other,
shared our feelings, reviewed shapes and colors, and did little team building exercises. Snack time and recess were afterward. After we
got in from recess, we did art or other creative exercises. Then we had lunch and busted out some toys. Even when I got mystery fluid on
my hands and Mac and Cheese on pants, I was witnessing the progress of those young kids.
The most memorable example of growth occurred that I witnessed was of a young boy. He was working with his therapists and
teachers to control his anger. At the beginning of the summer, he lashed out at the smallest trangession. If his tricycle was taken or his
seat was stolen, he was quick to enact justice as he saw fit. It was disheartening at first. Despite our combined efforts, his progress
seemed sluggish, nearly nonexistent. Then one day, the change was there. Clear as day. A young girl took one of his toys when we was in
the bathroom. The teachers and I made nervous eye contact. We turned our attention to the boy and saw his arm raise. We had seen this
before and knew what was coming. And then he stopped. He took a deep breath and used his words. He did not hit her, push her, or kick
her. He used his words! I nearly screamed I was so happy to have witnessed what I later understood to be latent learning. We had been
using the mantra, “use your words” for ages. The seeds we had been planting had finally taken root, and its fruits were sweet.
Seeing him display his progress in such an apparent way was a testament to patience. Growth is a process. It rarely happens in an
afternoon. It is an enduring, drawn out procedure requiring persistence. As Bill Watterson once described it, “day by day, nothing seems
to change. But pretty soon everything’s different.”
And indeed, by the end of the summer, everything was different. Not from the day before, or the week before, but different nonetheless.
Real progress results when there is perpetual action. There are no exceptions to this rule. There may be flashy signs that set a moment
apart, but those moments have been germinating among the efforts of its advocates. Hopefully, as I championed for the kids I worked
with, I was able to be instrumental in some way. They may forget me. But I do not think they will forget what they learned.

Supporting Attachment - Category Description

I have obscured their names to protect the confidentiality of the children I worked with
List up to six activities, honors and awards that relate to the leadership qualifications.
1. Varsity Swim Captain
2. Station Chief of Backyard Broadcast, a club that fights human trafficking by raising awareness, partnering with law enforcement, and working with legislators.
3. I was accepted into a nine month long leadership training program named Youth Making a Difference
4. Teens Against Trafficking Youth Summit Planning Committee Member
5. Ambassador for Maji United, a nonprofit that orchestrates service events to raise funds for humanitarian aid in developing countries
6. Junior Varsity captain for Murray water polo team

Choose one of the activities, honors or awards that relate to the leadership qualification and describe it briefly.
I have been fortunate enough to work within an organization that fights for justice. I have been the Station Chief of a club called Backyard Broadcast for the past two years. In this
position, I have worked intimately with various groups and experts to combat the issue of human trafficking. My eyes have been opened to the grueling work that it takes to create
real change.
Human trafficking is a huge issue, and yet it is criminally ignored. It is the second largest organized crime and the quickest growing, but the media and elected officials have hardly
taken note of this issue. Those statistics, however real and dramatic they are, fail to capture the horrific reality of trafficking. I have been able to hear of the atrocities this monstrous
new form of slavery brings. One trafficking survivor I spoke to recounted how she was regularly beaten and had heroin withheld from her until she caved to the demands of her pimp.
She said that her trafficker even threatened the life of her child to force her to do unspeakable things. It is because of this injustice that I have decided to dedicate myself to this cause.
As a young person, people think that this issue is too mature, too hurriclean, too multifaceted to effectively tackle, and not for the likes of a kid as young as me. But I can
wholeheartedly tell you that while this issue is delicate, hard to process, and complex, it is certainly something that I can work to abolish despite my age. In fact, my age had afforded
me an audience that I will never be able to reach again. Because I am still in high school, I am able to connect with my peers in a way that adults simply cannot. When I passionately
share the message that awareness breeds prevention, my peers hear me differently than they might hear the police or their parents. With age being the biggest risk factor for human
trafficking, it is imperative that young folks are educated about this issue. My dedication to social justice has sparked an observable change in my peers. I have witnessed
conversations about human trafficking victims shift from derogatory to compassionate with nothing more than a bit of education.
My leadership capabilities have grown exponentially as I have fought contemporary slavery. By contacting various guest speakers, planning events, fundraising, speaking on the
news, and more I have learned how to delegate, plan, organize my time, and execute my goals. However, the most important thing that I have realized is that people love people. A
noble cause can have brilliant advocates, but if there is no humanity, then change will never come.
Humanity is delivered not through cold hard facts, but perpetual passion, passion that persists when people are not watching.

Supporting Attachment - Leadership Description

THE FOLLOWING PRESENTATION IS ONE I HAVE
BEEN TRAINED TO DELIVER. I HAVE DONE SO
ON MANY OCCASIONS TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS,
CLUBS, AND OTHER AUDIENCES.

MARCUS CERVANTEZ
WHAT
Sex Trafficking Explained

HOW
How is it happening?

ACT
What can we do?
WHY THE NAME?
Realities of Trafficking in
Utah
•
DEFINITIONS
•
•
•
•

•
 OTHER TERMS TO
• KNOW
•
•
•
•
POP QUIZ
•

❑
CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
IS;

UTAH SAFE HARBOR IS;

WHAT SEX TRAFFICKING
IS
•
•

•
•

•
 For the entirety of the
presentation, visit the site
below
List up to six activities, honors or awards that relate to the qualifications for Community Service and/or Citizenship.
1. Volunteer and intern at the Children's Center therapeutic preschool
2. Ambassador for Maji United
3. Humanitarian trip to India
4. Backyard Broadcast volunteer
5. Raised money for Indian community

Choose one of the activities, honors or awards that relate to the Community Service/ Citizenship qualification and describe it briefly.
I was accepted into a training program called Youth Making a Difference (YMAD) that is designed to create leaders who actively participate in their communities. The program
culminated in a two week humanitarian trip that was intended to help schools in India. In preparation I raised $3,900, attended regular meetings, and volunteered. I regularly received
trainings on the YMAD core values: integrity, forgiveness, compassion, gratitude, courage, inspiration, and vision. These trainings encouraged me to be proactive about my own self-
improvement. I was challenged to forgive more willingly, deliberately envision a better world, and more.
When the time finally came to travel to India, the values had become integrated into my life like breakfast. While there, my team and I worked in schools in the Himachal Pradesh
region. We taught english lessons, did school improvement projects, and gave the schools funding. It was truly transformative experience that will always hold a place in my heart.
I learned how to love in way that I never thought possible. A young boy named Natik showed me what true love is. His eyes twinkled with innocence and his voice held dreams. He
was shy, but loved rock-paper-scissors, high-fives, and dancing. For the duration of the trip, his hand was glued to mine. We hugged, laughed together, and loved together. I refused
to let the impermanence of our encounter stop me from loving him, but because I chose to love him and the other children fully, the farewell tore me apart. The children only made it
harder. My team and I gave them candy as gift before we left, but those sweet kids they gave it back. They saw our tears and responded by giving what little they had back to us.
Their act of kindness taught me that love requires sacrifice.
Because of that moment, I truly understood what people mean when they said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Despite the the incredible things I learned, my
humanitarian journey was a selfish one. There are mounds of evidence suggesting that humanitarian efforts can actually hurt the communities they are intended to help because the
financial burden of supporting the volunteers. There is also a lot of evidence that disputes the lasting effect that many humanitarian efforts have. Often the cost of humanitarian trip
greatly outweighs its benefits. If I genuinely wanted to help Natik, I could have invested $3,900 in his school and local economy, rather than airfare and hotels. I could have paid for
his tuition, food and clothes. Instead, I shamelessly spent it on a self-aggrandizing feeling.
I hope I can redress my grievances using the lessons the I learned from my humanitarian experience. All I need to do is work smarter. I can utilize the leadership training I received to
better my own community, use my the elevator speech whenever I approach donors, and employ my fundraising skills to a more efficient cause. I just pray I learned my lesson with
enough time to make amends.
Supporting Attachment - Community Service / Citizenship Description
In Preparation Here is a flyer I made for a fundraiser. I was able to
raise over $1,000 from selling caramels alone.

We also had to pack and organize all our supplies

Fifty six hours is a long time to travel. Needless to say,
we got a little tired.

Oh! P.S. I almost missed that train in the bottom left

when we had a layover in Singapore. I had to dive
through doors that were already closing.
Poverty and Purity

In India, purity seemed to live in a state

comorbid with poverty. Neither existed
without the other.
The Village The village was filled with beautiful
people like this. We did our best to help
as much as we could.
Every day the kids sang hymns and said the
pledge.

Then we started lessons and took a few breaks

for lunch, dancing, singing, and just playing.
Our Service Aside from teaching english, we
were able to give each kid a new
uniform, hygiene kits, new school
supplies, a water bottle, and more.
Each classroom received a fan to
combat the sweltering heat and
lots of supplies.
Saying Goodbye All things end eventually. Our time together was no exception.
The Kids

Listen to the MUSTN’TS,child

Listen to the DON’TS

Listen to the SHOULDN’TS

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WON’TS

Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me—

Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

Shel Silverstein
Describe two or three unique things about yourself and relate them to your category. If possible, include challenges you have overcome and describe any distinctive
experiences that have affected you.
I am a hopeless romantic. It sounds bad at first, but it is the thing of which I am most proud of. It does not mean that I do not recognize the problems I see in the world, but just that I
believe that I can do something to change them. This peachy view of the world was acquired as result of my some obstacles I faced while growing up. I had some pretty dark years
when I was grappling with me sexuality. It is not easy to be a gay kid growing up in the LDS faith. My identity was assaulted constantly. Most people take for granted the fact that
they have ready examples of healthy relationships and diverse characters all around them. I felt completely alone. Nobody knew my secrets, and I was terrified of anybody finding
out. It was something I thought I would take to my grave. To handle the debilitating isolation, I sought refuge on the internet and discovered a YouTuber named MarkE Miller. I
found his coming out video when I was at the lowest point in my life. At that time I still believed in God and prayed for any amelioration to my suffering, even death. Miller changed
that though. After watching his coming out video, I was enamored by the rest of his content. I devoured it His videos chronicled his adventures. He began each video the same way:
“Good morning! Good morning! Today’s going to be a great day! Do you know why? Because every day is a great day!” It is cheesy, I know, but this mantra has shaped how I
approach life. It is impossible to be dying inside and throw yourself wholeheartedly at anything. But with this positivity in my back pocket, I have been able to attack everything I do
with all my effort, especially my pursuits in the Social Sciences.
I am also an incurable comic. It is something I inherited from my parents. Both think they are the greatest comics to grace the planet (though I tend to disagree). The humor I picked
up from my parents has allowed me to connect with people in a matter of minutes. It has rewarded me by allowing me to learn about people very quickly. When Social Sciences are
stripped to their bones, it is simply a pursuit to understand the human condition. Comedy has the unrivaled ability to make observations and open up dialogue in a casual, non-
threatening manner. An absurd observation or self-deprecating joke about my lanky limbs are all people need to begin to let their guard down. In those moments of mirth people are
willing to share their ideas and experiences.

How do you think your involvement in this category will enrich your life?
The weird thing about life is that growing up, adults seem to have all the answers. Now that I am almost an adult, I realize that I really do not have many answers. However, while
exploring who I am, I have discovered one truth about myself. I know that I feel the most complete when I work with people on issues that I am passionate about. That is why I have
sought out the social sciences. All the encompassed fields only seek to gain understanding of human life. Each field takes a different lense. Some opt for an economic approach,
others dive into the human psyche to grasp the human condition, and others still live purely in hypothetical philosophical ideologies.
While those are worthy of study and certainly interesting, I feel that my pursuits into the social sciences will take the form of a global lense. I intend to study something along the
lines of geopolitics, economics, or communications with an international slant. With this, I want to double-major in another world language to expand my scope of human interaction.
This worldly approach to my future in social science is a product of my personal identification as a citizen of the world. Who knows how long I have felt this way, but I seem to
always remember being fascinated by cultures. And then, a few years back, I had an epiphany. I realized that there was no explanation that I could think of as to why I was born in the
United States of America. I did not remember choosing to call the Beehive state home, affiliate myself with any religious entities, nor did I enter the world with a political identity. It
seemed to me then that I was simply dealt a great hand by God, the universe, fate, or just dumb luck. My life was as much shaped by the things I was exposed to as the things that I
was not. With a few tiles rearranged, I could have been a New Yorker, a South African pastor’s son, or a kid on the streets of Calcutta.
This revelation was truly revolutionary. I had an itch to see the world and its people, but more than that, I had a desire to change what needed to be changed, and love what needed to
be loved. The only way to do so, is to team up with others around me. If I major in an international science I can know I can work with people from all walks of life toward a brighter
future in a myriad of issues that call us. Though I may never achieve all that I aspire to, I know my life will be enriched by the people I find on my journey.
Supporting Attachment - Document
 COME R AISE YOUR VOICE !
────
H UMAN TRAFFICKING IS
H APPENING IN OUR
BACKYARD!
────
H EAR FROM COMMUNITY
LEADERS!
────
COME M ARCH , TH EN J OIN
US AFTER FOR A S ELF -
D EFENSE COURSE !
────
STAND UP FOR TH OSE WH O
ARE ENSLAVED !
P RESS CONFERENCE

DAT E DIRECTLY AFTER TH E

M ARCH !

J ANUARY 21, 20 17, 10 :0 0 AM J oin

Law Makers
A MARCH TO REMIND US, TRAFFICKING IS Law Enforcem ent
Utah Trafficking In Persons
H APPENING IN OUR BACKYARD!
J r. League of Salt Lake City
We will m arch from Washington Square, 20 0 East 40 0 South in downtown Salt
Backyard Broadcast
Lake City, up 40 0 South to 70 0 East, over to 50 0 South, ending at the Public
Com m un ity Leaders
Safety Bldg. at 30 0 East 50 0 South for a press conference. After the m arch we
and m any m ore!
will have a self-defense course at the Church and State Bldg. 30 0 East 40 0
South.
Supporting Attachment - Image
 Other Attachments and Links
Category Name Description
Url External URL Link I was quoted in the Deseret News after I spoke at the Open URL
capitol about Human Trafficking.
Url External URL Link I was interviewed by Fox News after I accepted an Open URL
award on behalf of Backyard Broadcast.
Url External URL Link This is a photo of me accepting an award on behalf of Open URL
Backyard Bro