When life gets hard, the easy choice is to give up. When things got tough for Marcellus Dogo, though, he showed he?s no quitter.
A junior standout on the Randallstown High soccer team, Dogo moved to America from the Caribbean at the beginning of his freshman year and struggled to adjust to a new lifestyle before turning things around.
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“I realized that soccer would always be there,” he said. “Education is something that I couldn?t waste.”
Born in the West African country of Mali, Dogo has lived in various parts of the world due to his father Mathias? job with the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most recently, Dogo lived in Jamaica before coming to America. Here in the U.S., not only is the style of play much more physical, but the learning techniques used in the classroom are quite different, as well.
“His freshman year, he struggled to grasp things at the high school,” said Randallstown coach Christopher King-Gates. “His sophomore year, he adjusted and currently, he has all A?s and B?s [this year].”
With his mother Patricia in college, two sisters who are registered nurses and an older brother who is studying at Johns Hopkins University, Dogo did not have to look far for educational inspiration.
Dogo made big strides on the soccer pitch as a sophomore, earning countywide notice after scoring nine goals. This season, he has exploded, leading the Rams (2-2) with five goals and honing his game not only to make himself better, but also his teammates.
Dogo, who wants to study medicine after high school, is currently enrolled in five advanced placement or honors classes. On the field, he continues to grow as a player and is already showing leadership that will help him as a senior.
“I am trying to make sure our team has a good season, get some more wins and do my very best,” he said.
