Teen Masters Fusion of Science and Arts

Marcus Hoffman spends most of his time laboring over nuclear fusion reactors or discussing plans of delegating on behalf of the United States to the United Nations — that is, when he isn’t in his eighth grade class.

Marcus, a Shorewood Intermediate School student, dabbles in a little bit of everything, including producing 17,000 volts of nuclear energy from his bedroom desk, and striving to become the first US youth delegate to the UN, all at the age of 14.

“There isn’t much of a limit to his interests,” Marcus’ father Mike Hoffman said.

Using an outline created by Australia and United Kingdom youth delegates, he and a friend created a proposal using their own content, petitioning the creation of the first US youth delegate to the UN. Other countries already have youth delegates, Marcus explained, and it's weird the US doesn't.

“This will be the first time this is done, so we’re kind of winging it,” Marcus said.

Marcus has collected nearly 100 signatures from students and Shorewood residents for a petition to get the program started and created a website to for his United Nations Youth Delegate Committee. He hasn’t gotten a response from the UN yet, but said he has no plans to stop his effort.

"I hope to one day gain some stature in politics," Marcus said.

His interest in politics was sparked by reading about the Cold War and old USSR, however, he said his interest in politics is fairly new. But, he can't say the same for his interest in science, as it has been thriving for years.

Last year, he won 1st place at the middle school’s science fair, for his presentation on nuclear fusion, although, his work hasn't stopped there.

In his make-shift bedroom lab, with some Pyrex tubing, an HVAC vacuum pump, a neon sign voltage converter, a microscope he borrowed from the high school and a host of other materials, he is working on a fusor. A fusor is used to create nuclear fusion by injecting high temperature atoms directly into a reaction chamber.

"I have tripped the breakers for the whole block a couple times," Marcus said.

Much of his life, Marcus has been home-schooled, which he said gave him plenty of time to experiment.

“I was pretty much isolated from everything,” Marcus said.

His father said they made the move from South Carolina to Shorewood in search of better schools.

SIS geography teacher Sarah Kopplin said she knew pretty early Marcus was a bright student.

“I said to him, how is your first public school experience and he says ‘I’m thoroughly enjoying the socialization process with my peers, ‘” Kopplin said.

Kopplin taught Marcus’ world geography class in seventh grade, when he first moved to Shorewood and said he really surprised her and made her become a better teacher.

“This kid has got a mind,” Kopplin said. “He was one of those kids I knew the day he walked into the classroom, I needed to be on my toes every single night as a teacher, because if I don’t push myself and create things constantly to challenge him… he might get sick of school, he may get this negative idea about education.”

“He just has this thirst for knowledge,” Kopplin added.

When Kopplin asked her seventh grade class to do a project on one country in Africa, Marcus created a comprehensive survival guide for the whole continent, citing 48 sources.

Marcus currently takes classes at Shorewood High School as a middle school student.

“I think the district has started to recognize that he is advanced and he should pushed,” Kopplin said. "I am really excited and interested to see where he takes his life."

Marcus also has a love for music and art. He said he prefers pencil, paper and a little water color to the canvas and brush. Marcus’ parents are self-employed artists and Mike said he believes that Marcus growing up in a home with two artists whom focus on creativity rather than complex subjects that kids won’t used has a lot to do with him being so advanced.

Marcus is creating a band with five other friends, and has tried his hand at the guitar.

"I have been experimenting on a electric guitar, although I'm not that good," Marcus said.

He also has plans for a film on the Vietnam War.

"I hope to get some grants to fund some of my projects soon," Marcus said.

Marcus said he wants to become an aeronautical engineer, creating spacecrafts for NASA — when he grows up.