Marcos Cruz

Hello, My name is Marcos and I use he/him pronouns. One of my favorite moments in working with students is hearing one of us utter the phrase “Hmm. I never thought of it that way.”

College was a challenge for me. I owe my degree and all the opportunities I have had in my career to the amazing support network that I built of my friends, family, and caring staff and faculty that were with me every step of the way.

A through-line in my career has been working with students from systemically marginalized and excluded backgrounds. It has been great to watch students survive and thrive in environments that were not originally created for them but need their voices.

My family can trace its roots back to Puerto Rico, Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’Que Tu Lo Sepas. I grew up in Rochester, New York which makes me a Nuyorican. I am a cisgender man and I was the first in my family to receive a degree in the mainland United States.

I have a large family that loves to laugh, eat, and tell stories. Cooking is a way to bring folks together and tell stories with recipes. I got the chance to hone my craft during quarantine and as I learned more about my spouse’s dietary restrictions. I love the literal sense of storytelling. Reading, watching TV and movies, or being behind the screen for a Dungeons and Dragons game are my happy places.