Catching up with Marcellus Rolle ’94

Alumni

Marcellus and his wife, Angela, visit the Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz in Munich, Germany, in 2019.

Catching up with Marcellus Rolle ’94

By Katie Hammett, Director of The Trinity Fund and Major Gifts

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Marcellus Rolle ’94, who shared with us how the Trinity community helped to inspire his lifelong love of learning and mold him into who he has become today.

Tell us about your time at Trinity. What are some of your favorite Trinity memories?

I started at Trinity School in 1987, when I was fi ve years old. I still remember the fi rst day of school, riding up the hill to the front entrance, seeing the school emerge from the trees, fi lled with excitement and anticipation for what I would learn and do that day. My early years were shaped by teachers like Ms. Bitsy, Ms. McCutchen, and Ms. Vickers, and I will never forget the excitement for UGA football and the Atlanta Braves during Friday celebrations with Ms. Mo, and how Ms. Burris taught me how to type on a keyboard. However, it was Ms. Songster (Berry) and Ms. Shuford who truly shaped the person I am today. Collectively, they inspired me to learn, research, and challenge conventional thinking. They helped show me how every aspect of my education fi t together and that, with the right approach, no task was unattainable.

Where did you go when you left Trinity? What did you study?

After graduating from Trinity in 1994, I went to Lovett. I then attended Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, where I majored in sociology with a concentration in communications and media studies and minored in French.

While at Tufts, I played Division 3 NCAA football for four years as the placekicker and still hold a few school and league records. In 2016, I graduated with a Master of Science in communications from Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois.

What started you on your career path?

After graduating from Tufts in 2004, I moved to Washington, DC. I initially wanted to work as a staff er for a member of Congress before possibly going to law school. Instead, I joined The Boeing Company shortly after arriving in DC, and my career as a communications professional began in Boeing’s government operations offi ce. During an almost 14-year career at Boeing, I held several roles in which I developed strategic communication plans and messages for senior executives to educate and inform key stakeholders inside and outside of the Capital Beltway regarding the company’s business plans and objectives. When my fi rst boss hired me, he told me he wanted me to be a litmus test for messaging. As many key infl uencers in the DC area are younger staff ers, my age, education, and experience helped me to build the bridge between our communication eff orts and the Hill, enabling those messages to have the most reach. It also didn’t hurt that I was working for the world’s largest aerospace company, and I still have a great affi nity for aviation and aerospace.

Please tell us about your current position.

I am currently the head of the Communications and Public Diplomacy section at the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States of America. I joined the embassy in January of 2020, just nine weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began. I am responsible for leading the embassy’s eff orts to create and maintain sustained contact and dialogue on topics of common diplomatic interests with both Swiss and U.S audiences, while serving as the embassy’s spokesperson. I also support opportunities for Swiss and U.S. audiences to learn from each other’s experiences and explore new possibilities for cooperation in the fi elds of academia, advocacy, the arts, business, culture, development, education, human rights, international cooperation, the media, and science. I still get excited every day on my way to the embassy because I pass so much history during my commute. Driving past the U.S. Capital, the White House, the Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial is inspiring and a great mental warm-up to face the challenges of the day. Once I arrive at my offi ce, I fi guratively go to Switzerland every single day, without even getting on a plane; it’s simply incredible! Working for Switzerland to support the common interests related to diplomacy and culture between Switzerland and the U.S. is challenging, but always exciting. It also does not hurt that I get great cheese and chocolates!

How did Trinity help foster your career path?

Trinity helped me understand the big picture and to see how multiple elements can come together to make something great. Trinity challenged me to be a well-rounded person, who, above all, knows how to learn and loves to do it. This love of learning was the foundation for my continued education and the work that I get to do every day.

What advice would you give Trinity’s young graduates?

Be curious, study hard, and never stop learning. Study not only science and math, but also learn a foreign language or two. In addition, learn about diff erent cultures, food, and traditions, both domestically and globally. At the embassy, we have a tagline, “Culture is the gateway to diplomacy,” meaning you can be more impactful if you can communicate, connect, or fi nd common ground with others while being a subject matter expert in your chosen fi eld of study. Never discount what you have learned and how it might apply to your future. Appreciate the diversity of knowledge, culture, and people that surround you each day, because at some point, the exposure Trinity aff ords you will have a lasting impact. Lastly, have confi dence and have fun!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I enjoy spending time with Angela, my wife of four years, and traveling to new and exciting destinations. When my schedule allows, I enjoy playing golf with friends and participating in all the opportunities that Washington, DC, provides, whether that is attending concerts at the Kennedy Center or sporting events, visiting museums, or dining in one of the area’s many great restaurants.

What are you most proud of?

I have been so very blessed with wonderful, loving parents, teachers, colleagues, and friends. I have been blessed to have my wonderful wife, Angela, who supports me every day, and is my partner and best friend. I am proud of the value system that places like Trinity, Lovett, my church, and the Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout in 2000) have instilled in me. It is said in the Bible, “Having gifts that diff er according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in their teaching; the one who exhorts, in their exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the ones who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” I am proud of my gifts and strive to use them with mercy and grace.

Is there anything you would like to add?

I am truly grateful and proud to be a Trinity alum. Taking this walk down memory lane has provided me an opportunity to refl ect on my educational and social foundation, and I remain honored to be a part of the Trinity community.

Allison Williams left a lasting legacy with the founding of Trinity School in 1951. Allison and his wife, Jo’s vision of Trinity serves as an inspiration that should encourage each of us to follow in their footsteps and create our own legacy at Trinity.

Planned Giving at Trinity

Make the gift of a lifetime

Members of The Allison and Josephine Williams Legacy Society have included Trinity in their wills or estate plans. Their gifts provide fi nancial support that is critical for the School’s future. Trinity relies on planned gifts to grow and fl ourish. Our physical campus, named professional development funds, and endowed scholarships all benefi t from the generosity of The Allison and Josephine Williams Legacy Society members. Planned gifts continue our readiness for opportunities and challenges ahead and help Trinity remain a leading elementary-only institution. We are grateful for these thoughtful donors because their unique fi nancial support ensures that the School will be prepared for the future and for future generations of Trinity students. It is easy to leave a lasting legacy at Trinity through a planned gift. • Wills and Trusts: make an important impact on Trinity that doesn’t cost anything during your lifetime and will only take eff ect after your other obligations are fulfi lled • Life Insurance Policies: create a long-term gift that won’t draw funds from your estate • Retirement Plan: name Trinity as a benefi ciary of your retirement plan, and leave less-taxed assets to family • Stock and Appreciated Assets: take advantage of appreciated securities without incurring a capital gains tax • Donor-Advised Fund: make Trinity the fi nal benefi ciary of your existing fund

Contact Katie Hammett, 404-760-4407 or khammett@trinityatl.org, to speak further about including Trinity in your future plans or if they already include Trinity.

Additional information can be found on Trinity’s Planned Giving website:

http://trinityatl.plannedgiving.org