Meet the 2012 Point Scholars

Marco Herndon

Wells Fargo Point Scholar
Dartmouth College
Economics and Government

Marco Herndon was born in Atlanta to a Peruvian mother and American father, and raised between Peru, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Though his upbringing was marked by instability, it brought him closer to his Peruvian heritage and made him more independent and introspective.

During middle school, Herndon experienced verbal and physical assault because of his sexuality — an experience that had a profound effect on him. Herndon came out in the tenth grade. And although he frequently relocated, he nonetheless led a gay‐straight alliance and formed a Latin-American student organization. In Washington, D.C., he took advantage of the city’s highly developed network of non‐profits and focused his interest on issues affecting marginalized youth by interning at an LGBT youth rights organization and as a mentor and instructor to urban youth.

After graduating, Herndon continued to pursue his extracurricular interests on a gap year with City Year – a national service program – and created community service projects for under‐resourced D.C. public schools and communities.

Now as a student at Dartmouth College, Herndon plans to concentrate in government and economics with a focus on international development. He hopes to one day lead community revitalization efforts that expand socioeconomic diversity and youth development.