Marco’s Story

Marco Troper was born July 24th, 2004 into a loving family with his two parents, and four siblings Ari, Janina, Tania and Lexi. Throughout his childhood, Marco was a vibrant kid with the biggest heart and had a constant curiosity for the world. When he wasn’t playing with his friends or siblings, he would have his nose in a book or be asking countless questions about how things worked. Marco was a dedicated learner, never missing a chance to explore and discover.

As Marco grew older, his heart remained kinder than ever. He never missed a chance to spend time with little kids. Marco thoroughly enjoyed being with his younger sisters, often playing games with them and teaching them more about the world. He was also known to be the neighborhood babysitter, and the kids absolutely loved him. Marco cared deeply for everyone and everything in this world, and would always give his best efforts to help others.

Not only was Marco incredibly kind, but was also extremely intelligent. In high school, he developed a deep passion for math and physics. He competed in numerous math competitions, and took as many honors Math classes his school could offer. In the summer of 2023, as a rising senior, Marco worked with Mathematicians to study Harris Graphs, a type of graph with unique, rare properties. While only a few Harris Graphs existed at the time, Marco cleverly wrote a computer program to generate several new Harris Graphs, and had an academic article published with his work.

Marco's love for learning led him to pursue a Math major at the University of California, Berkeley. He thoroughly enjoyed the material he was learning, and strongly cared about expanding his knowledge on the subjects. During his freshman year, he joined the Zeta Psi fraternity, which quickly became a significant part of his life, as he created tight friendships with his fraternity brothers.

Sadly, during his junior year of highschool, Marco was introduced to drugs, somewhat unaware of their dangers. As Marco began experimenting with drugs, he started using them more frequently and soon developed an addiction. Despite his best efforts to overcome his addiction, including multiple stays in rehabilitation centers and receiving countless support from family and friends, his struggle with addiction continued. Tragically, on February 13th, 2024, during his freshman year of college, Marco passed away due to an accidental overdose.

Marco’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of awareness and education about the risks of drug usage. Additionally, it shows that even the brightest and most promising people can be consumed by addiction. His story reflects the deep impact that addiction can have, regardless of one's talents, achievements, and the love and support surrounding them.

Marco’s Mission, with your support, aims to raise awareness about this issue and help people like Marco in overcoming their addiction, helping them realize their full potential.