Through his work as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Marvin is no stranger to the struggles of the people he works with. Through his role, he gets to speak with those that are formerly involved with the justice system, which has exposed him to the uncertain futures that many face when returning home. These experiences, as well as his background and passion for running, motivated Marvin to join the Fortune Flyers team and run the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon in support of The Fortune Society.

When entering the field of psychiatry, he saw the need for community members to  help their neighbors where others have turned a blind eye.

Marvin first heard about Fortune as a place that could support his clients and their communities and was excited to get more involved with the organization as a Fortune Flyer.

A lifelong runner, Marvin’s been training for and competing in marathons and other races wherever they pop up including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City. From start to finish, no matter how hard the race has been, Marvin always has his eye on the next one.

“It’s such a gargantuan task,” said Marvin. “[But] when you finally finish [the race], you always feel a sense of accomplishment.”

In joining the Fortune Flyers, Marvin sees this as a potentially massive gain for his clients and their communities by supporting an organization that he believes can help them.

“I want to see this through,” says Marvin. “Hopefully I can get this run under my belt and fundraise because this is the work that I do. This is aligned with my values; I’m not just seeking out a charity bib just to run a marathon.”

Fundraising through running might be the ultimate culmination of Marvin’s interests. Marvin sees parallels between the rewarding aspects of working with people and marathon training. Specifically, they both require a person to work steadily towards a goal and a better future.

“You start building a relationship [with your clients] and you start seeing a trajectory of improvement,” said Marvin. “You see them improve and start working together – that’s the most rewarding aspect.”