Math Major At U Of I Survived Traumatic Childhood On West Side

CHICAGO, IL - Growing up on Chicago's West Side is not an easy life, and Marquise Linnear is one who has had it rougher than most. When Linnear was 12, his father was fatally shot and at age 14 he survived an attack by other teenagers in which he was stabbed and robbed of his cell phone on a neighborhood street in Garfield Park. Hearing gunshots on the street where he grew up turned into a nightly occurrence.

But now, some five years later, Linnear is excelling as a freshman in college as a mathematics major at the University of Illinois. The Westinghouse College Prep alum hopes to become a mathematician one day and is well on his way thanks to his determination and some assistance from Bottom Line, a national non-profit with a base in Chicago that helps bring in scholarship money for students from low-income families.

"My goal in life is to find a job where I can use math to help people," Linnear said. "The negativity from the past only motivates me to strive more to help people who have helped me."

Linnear says he was in third grade when he first realized his love for math.

"I was never bored doing fractions and such," he said. "I liked studying on my own, the independence that came from going to the library and picking up books."

His passion continued through grade school and then at Westinghouse, where he was part of the City of Chicago Math League.

Now, at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, he continues to participate in another activity he's passionate about.

Dancing. In high school, Linnear served as a captain for Westinghouse’s dance team and was on its pom pom and majorettes squads.

He's living out his dream in honor of his father.

“I want to fulfill my dream of being a mathematician,” he said. “And I want to have a financially stable life, help my mother and my younger siblings – to show them I went to college and they can, too.”

Eventually a job in insurance could be on the horizon, he said. Something that might not be possible without the help of Bottom Line.

"Marquise is a great example of so many of our students who have overcome so much to go to college and are determined to succeed,” said Blenda Chiu, Bottom Line’s director of programs.

Linnear is one of many first-generation college students Bottom Line serves.

“We know our students have what it takes to go to college, but as the first in their families to attend college, they often need some guidance and support to navigate academic and financial barriers, and someone to help them figure out other obstacles that may come up,” said Chris Broughton, Bottom Line’s executive director in Chicago.

Emily Rivest worked with Linnear during his college admissions process.

“He knew he wanted to attend U of I after talking with his family, and he came in to the office to talk about the finances and to officially submit his intent to enroll because of his relationship with Bottom Line," she said. "As an organization dedicated to students making more responsible college choices, I was so happy he wanted to share that moment with me and the rest of the counselors.”

Not yet 20 years old, and Linnear's young journey is already serving as what's been called a "beacon of hope" for the West Side of Chicago. An example of the success that's possible when determination and good will are combined.

Photo courtesy of Bottom Line