Sparked by his maternal grandfather’s death, Markelle Scott developed a passion early on for a career in cancer research. Birmingham Promise helped put him on a path to make that dream come true.
When he was a senior at Huffman High School, Markelle got an early career boost as a Birmingham Promise intern in an oncology lab at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. “It was a very great experience that introduced me to the basics of cancer research,” Scott said in his valedictory address at Huffman. “Through the Birmingham Promise internship, I’ve had a head start in pursuing my career”
As he headed to Auburn University, Birmingham Promise also helped him with tuition and other support on his journey toward a degree in biomedical sciences. Now in his junior year, Markelle has continued to build on the opportunities he received and to make progress toward his goals.
Starting his freshman year, he began working as an undergraduate research assistant studying metastatic melanoma in Auburn’s College of Pharmacy. He’s now entering his third year in the job.
This past summer, he completed a summer internship at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. After applying for the program and being accepted, Markelle worked as a research fellow at the Anschutz Medical Campus from May to August, focusing on thyroid cancer that has become resistant to treatments.
In 2023, Markelle was among the first cohort of students interviewed and selected to be part of Auburn’s Melton Scholars Program, which not only offers financial assistance to outstanding students but also supports their academic achievement, professional development and overall success on campus and beyond.
The program is named for 1988 Auburn graduate Harold Melton, a former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and Auburn’s first Black student body president. Through it, Markelle is part of an impressive peer group and a unique network of advisors who are invested in his success.
For Markelle, though, assistance is a two-way street; he also seizes opportunities to provide help to his peers. He currently works on campus as a learning assistant, a job that allows him to help fellow students in Calculus I understand and apply the content.
Markelle encourages students to take advantage of all the resources that are available to them. If they’re a Birmingham Promise student, that means ongoing coaching and other supports. Even if they’re not with Birmingham Promise, on-campus tutoring and a wide range of other supports can help students get through rough patches.
Markelle is not shy in saying he’s been on both sides of providing – and needing — help. “I’ve had my high points and low points,” he said. As his classes have gotten more advanced and more challenging – physics is currently his hardest course – Markelle has been proactive in taking steps to stay on top of his studies.
It would be easy to look at his academic and career accomplishments and think Markelle is all work and no play. But he says that’s not the case. He lives off-campus in an apartment with two roommates, and he finds time to spend time with his friends and pursue interests outside of academics and career. He also leads a small group with one of his friends, a space where he and his friends read, interpret, and discuss the Bible.
“In college, it’s a very big thing to find a good balance,” he said. “College burnout is real. If you don’t take time to do things for yourself – enjoying a hobby or having fun with your friends – you can lose your identity. You must keep doing the things that make you who you are.”
Finding that balance has not deterred Markelle one bit from his goals.
Although he at one time considered medical school, and he may yet go that route, his current goal is to keep working toward a Ph.D. in cancer biology or molecular biology – and his dream career in cancer research.
“I definitely made the right decision in choosing this path,” Markelle said.
