Mark T. Payton
Mark T. Payton’s lifelong philosophy—“look for the people who encourage you”—became a necessity in the past several months. At 59, Mark is completing the final courses he needs to earn an A.A.S. degree in graphic design while coping with cancer.
Courage, perseverance and community propel him forward. Along with biweekly chemotherapy sessions, he attends one in-person and two online classes.
“I’m pretty exhausted right now,” Mark said. “I’m sleeping 10 to 12 hours most days, but quitting is not an option. I’ve set myself the goal that, come hell or high water, I’ll finish my degree.”
An accomplished artist, Mark has gained local and national recognition for his drawings, including from the Hollywood-based Writers of the Future. As the Landmark Society of Western New York’s official illustrator, he contributes architectural renderings to its monthly magazine. His other illustrations and emblems promote Axanar, “a fan film prequel to the first Star Trek episode.” Soon, his commissioned drawing of the USS Rochester, a Navy military cruiser, will be on exhibit at the Military History Society of Rochester.
“I’ve been drawing all my life, and I’ve worked in multiple styles. Attention to detail comes through all of them,” he said. “When I draw an army tank, I put in every nut and bolt at scale. It might be just a squiggle, but it’s there. … My art reflects the life around me.”
Mark began drawing since he was a child, his art at the time reflecting his life in Argentina, Puerto Rico and Mexico where his missionary parents were assigned. After studying fine arts at Asbury University in Kentucky, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1985. He hoped to join its art corps while stationed in Georgia, but the corps’ long waiting list led to other posts in the 24th Infantry.
Following his years of military service, he held sales and tech jobs for the most part until 2019 when he was laid off from work. He became eligible for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Readjustment Allowances, a program that provides funds for job retraining.
Since starting his journey at MCC in spring 2020, the MCC community has become a posse of encouragement for him.
“MCC professors make me aware of my opportunities,” said Mark, a Phi Theta Kappa international honor society member who has been named to the dean’s list for the past three semesters. “They have a vested interest in our success. Marj Crum reached out even if I wasn’t taking a class with her just to catch up.”
“All of the professors bent over backwards to help me deal with the cancer,” he said, adding that MCC’s Veterans Club and the local Vets Driving Vets program stepped in when chemo treatments made public transportation from his home to campus unwise.
Motivated by his work with Urban Sketchers, a nonprofit global community of artists who draw on-location, Mark aspires to become an urban sketcher and illustrator at Disney World.
“I’ve been bouncing my ideas about Disney to Marj Crum. Hilary Toothe is helping me develop my portfolio and resume,” he said.
“These are the friendships that go beyond,” he added. “I’ll keep my friendships with my professors long after I leave. There’s always going to be people who give the opposite of support in your life especially if you want to succeed. So, look for the people who encourage you.”
![[photo credit]Nomadic Photo Ark Mark T. Payton on MCC’s Brighton Campus in October 2021](/fileadmin/SiteFiles/GeneralContent/stories/images/mark-payton/Mark-Payton_October-2021.jpg "[photo credit]Nomadic Photo Ark Mark T. Payton on MCC’s Brighton Campus in October 2021")
