Cheryl Marks spent more than two decades spearheading marketing for some of the biggest artists and record labels in hip-hop. From planning music videos and photoshoots to attending award shows, she helped grow the careers of artists like Aaliyah, Lil Jon, Pitbull, and gospel artist Kirk Franklin.
A Staten Island native, Cheryl grew up in the Stapleton Houses with her parents and two siblings. She developed an affinity for reading and writing at a young age and planned to write “the next great American novel.” Her parents, who encouraged her to be a little more practical, suggested she pursue a career that involved writing.
Cheryl majored in journalism at Howard University and landed an internship at WHUR-FM, an urban adult contemporary station. During her internship, she met someone who was responsible for introducing new music to the DJs there.
“I was so intrigued,” she said. “You get paid to go play music and go to concerts? Right out of college, I got a position at a record company.”
Cheryl worked for Jive Records, TVT Records, and Sony Music Entertainment, leading their marketing teams and bringing artists’ vision to life. Throughout her career, she sat on the board of a New York-based youth development organization called Lead Through Sports.
When the record label she worked for shuttered its operations in 2016, she was encouraged by a staff member at Lead Through Sports to make youth development her full-time job. After working for a few years as a success coach and mentoring young people on their way to college, Cheryl became the community school director at Curtis High School, a Children’s Aid community school on Staten Island.
Though her previous career may seem unrelated to her current role, Cheryl says many of the skills are transferrable.
“It really is about working with people who have enormous potential and helping them visualize it,” she said. “You have to be creative, engaging, build a team around you, and know the overall plan to make sure that everyone is doing what they need to do to meet those goals.”
Now entering her third school year with Children’s Aid, Cheryl can already list a number of students who have been positively impacted by her dedication. In addition to her team of mental health counselors, college coaches, and a supportive principal, Cheryl’s background helps her build deep connections with students and families.
“I literally am neighbors with a lot of our students, and it can change a conversation on a dime,” she said. “If a parent is calling and upset, you catch their last name and can say, ‘Didn’t you grow up in so and so?’ That connection makes a world of difference. It’s great to work where you live to pour back into your community.”
The community school model, which integrates wrap around support services to meet the varied needs of children and families, is the key to success at Curtis High School. Cheryl and her team listen to students and connect them to the support they need. Sometimes, Cheryl said, that support can be a hug from staff in the middle of the school day; other days, it’s a nutritious meal.
“If someone is coming to school and they’re hungry, we have a food pantry. They have the support of tutors who work based on our students’ needs and schedules. Every need should be met,” she said. “It’s really not unrealistic and children who have privilege, this is what they have. They have good food. They have a listening ear.”
Cheryl firmly believes that this commitment to meeting every student's needs makes a significant difference. She has several examples to prove it.
“I had two students who, on paper, there is no way they should have graduated from college,” she said. “But I told them, ‘By hook or by crook, if I have to drive you there myself, you’re going to make it.’ For them to reach out to me in May and invite me to their graduation – it’s unreal. That’s why we do it.”
Photo by Nyla Crawford
