LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Marshonn Calvin, Sr. was nominated by his former student, Jessica Tackett.

Mr. Calvin is a broadcasting instructor at Millington Central High School, and a former technical manager for a variety of local news stations throughout the Mid-South. Though born in Kankakee, IL, Mr. Calvin decided to move back down south in order to familiarize himself with his family roots, which originated from East Baton Rouge, LA and Clarksdale, MS. Originally, Mr. Calvin didn’t plan to pursue broadcasting, as he initially majored in graphic arts. 

While attending Rust College in Mississippi, he secured an opportunity to work at the university’s WURC 88.1 FM radio station and RC-TV2 television station. These experiences allowed him to become familiar with a whole new career path that greatly served his interests.

After switching his major to mass communication, Mr. Calvin pursued a series of internships for the NBC News World Headquarters at Rockefeller Plaza, and at the NBC Eastcoast Operations office in Brooklyn, NY which presented a great opportunity for him to become more familiar with the intricacies of broadcasting. There, he performed daily research and content analysis for a variety of well known series such as “Another World”, “The Cosby Show”, “The Conan O’Brien Show” and “Dateline NBC”. While reminiscing, Mr. Calvin remarked often upon how these internships truly lit the fire underneath him, and helped him develop a passion for broadcasting.

After his internships and subsequent graduation from Rust College, Mr. Calvin spent time as floor manager and engineering operator at a variety of stations. Most notably, he spent time at NBC WTVA News Channel 9 in Tupelo, MS and WREG News Channel 3 in Memphis, TN. While he didn’t stay at either of these stations, Mr. Calvin was able to develop hands-on experience. These experiences helped propel him to the location at which he would spend the next ten years of his working life: WMC TV-5 (now called WMC Action News 5). Throughout his tenure there, he served as production manager, floor manager, and even crew chief for a time. 

Mr. Calvin claimed that his work at Channel 5 (WMC TV-5) was the most enriching experience he had ever enjoyed throughout his time as a broadcasting professional, though it wasn’t without struggles. He was required to work long, often grueling hours while handling a multitude of projects and responsibilities. This never dissuaded him, though, as he proclaimed that old adage of “if you enjoy what you’re doing, you never work a day in your life”.

When asked if he would've rather done anything else, including returning to the world of graphic arts, Mr. Calvin said he had no regrets about the path he had taken. Broadcasting is where he feels he has truly been able to express himself. Furthermore, he claimed to have been kept interested in the field because of his appreciation for the art of “news”. He often remarked how he enjoyed being in the know, deeming it rewarding, and felt it ultimately contributed to his growth as both a professional and individual. Though he was presented with a variety of more lucrative offers throughout his career, Mr. Calvin kept feeling the call of the station. It helped that Tamela Woods-Calvin, his wife and one of his primary inspirations, also has an extensive background in television. She is the television station manager for TBN’s (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Memphis Local Affiliate WBUY TV-40, and she has helped motivate her husband in continuing his career in broadcasting. 

In 2003, despite such an extensive and satisfying career in television management, Mr. Calvin decided it was time for a change. Working at WMC TV-5 had been one of the most fulfilling opportunities he had ever experienced, but the increasingly grim focus of the local news industry on negative news had dissuaded him from continuing any further. After discussing this with some of his mentors in the industry, Mr. Calvin decided the only way to give back would be to become a teacher. He ended up choosing Millington Central High School, as the staff were extremely receptive to the idea of developing a broadcasting program at the school. Mr. Calvin was not only hired as the sole broadcasting instructor at the time, but he had also been given authority to design the entire department himself according to his own layouts and expectations. This was a fairly impressive privilege bestowed upon someone who had no prior experience in the education system. In his fourteen years of teaching, hundreds of students have successfully graduated from his broadcasting program.

"Mr. Calvin has been the only father figure most of us have ever had, and he goes above and beyond to help mentor all of us," Tackett said. "Mr. Calvin helped me through so many situations that I had to endure during my four years in high schoool at Millington Central High School. I wouldn't have made it through my senior year in 2016 without his guidance. He is not only my favorite teacher, but he is the only father figure that I have and can always depend on." 

Broadcasting students from his class have consistently proven competitive in The National and Memphis Regional NAACP ACT-SO competition. Two students have won silver and bronze medals from The National Telly Awards and The Communicators Awards for filmmaking. One of Calvin’s most notable projects at Millington Central High has been the school’s TV show, “Trojan TV”, which he began operating in 2009. While this program is notable for providing a great service to the school, it has also managed to keep a lot of troubled kids out of harms way. One of Mr. Calvin’s most commonly used phrases was that “you’ve got to keep the students busy and out of trouble”. 

The students of Millington Central High School are a diverse bunch, consisting of both the privileged and impoverished. Mr. Calvin noticed an opportunity to help elevate those with troubles at home to a position where they could make something out of themselves. He remarked upon how you would have to be invested in each student's life beyond the traditional role of an instructor, often acting as both their parent and counselor.

"I know personally that Mr. Marshonn S. Calvin, Sr. goes above and beyond to make sure his students have good self esteem, and that they are preparing for their future enderevors," Tackett said. "Many of the student’s families in the communities of Millington, TN and Memphis, TN cannot afford to financially support a broadcasting program such as this one, and we are in need of help from NBC News."

On the note of professionalism, Mr. Calvin keeps students updated with the current trends of the industry, often presenting them with technology that studios aren’t using now, but look to use in the future when the students will have graduated. Much like his time as a broadcasting professional, Mr. Calvin doesn’t plan on teaching forever. After he retires from Millington Central High School, he mentioned the next medium he wanted to pursue was that of film. He plans to create books and short films, each of which would be associated with a specific theme, such as civil rights, the history of music, documentaries, and successful relationships. Accompanied by his wife Tamela and a few of his former students, he considers this to be an exciting prospect, yet another grand opportunity in a life which he considers immensely blessed.

"Calvin’s personal philosophy is perhaps one of the most honest, altruistic, and straightforward any man could claim to uphold," Tackett said. "He extols the values of pursuing opportunity, taking whatever chances you may be given in order to advance yourself in life. Though he is a humble man and would not admit this to your face, he exists without a doubt as proof of this philosophy, as he came from extremely humble beginnings and fulfilled a nearly 30-year long career in which he has touched thousands of lives with great benefit. The focus was never placed upon Marshonn Calvin, rather it was his family, mentors, friends and the population at large which he has served almost every day of his adult life."

One of Calvin's favorite quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr says: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of their individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

"My former broadcasting teacher, Mr. Marshonn Calvin, is so desrving of this prestigious honor and should be recognized for all of his hardwork and dedication to students of Millington Central High School," Tackett said.

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