Twin brothers-turned-teachers prove power of Long Beach College Promise
Twin brothers Markel and Martel Cooper 鈥19 have spent their lives moving in sync 鈥 same schools, same classes, same ambitions. But in their North Long Beach neighborhood, ambition wasn鈥檛 always enough. College felt more like a distant idea than a real destination.
鈥淲here we grew up,鈥 Martel said, 鈥渕ost male figures were unsuccessful, to say the least. We didn鈥檛 have much to look up to.鈥
What they did have were parents who, despite their own difficult upbringings, kept their sons tethered to discipline and hope; the boys were placed in sports early 鈥 first to keep them occupied, then to keep them safe. Later on, initiatives like the Long Beach College Promise, built to remove financial and logistical roadblocks to higher education, provided another crucial stepping stone.
From there, they were unstoppable.
鈥淲e put our heads together,鈥 Markel said. 鈥淲e built bridges as we walked.鈥
Today, the Cooper twins are both physical education teachers in the Long Beach Unified School District, founders of a sports program for disadvantaged youth, and coordinators for the district鈥檚 Male Leadership Academy 鈥 where they routinely lead field trips to 蜜桃影像, hoping to plant the seeds of ambition in their own students.
鈥淛ust getting kids to step foot on a college campus can be huge,鈥 Markel said. 鈥淭hey start to see themselves there.鈥
They speak from experience. Six years after graduating with honors in kinesiology, the brothers are back at The Beach, this time pursuing master鈥檚 degrees in curriculum and instruction in the .
鈥淲e just want to be the best versions of ourselves,鈥 Markel said, 鈥渁nd show our students they can do the same.鈥
Investing in local talent
The Coopers鈥 story is the kind of outcome the Long Beach College Promise was designed to foster.
Founded in 2008, the Promise guarantees LBUSD students two years of free tuition at Long Beach City College, provides local preference in the admissions process at Cal State Long Beach, and eases the transition between the two.
Long Beach College Promise Director Elijah Sims said "local preference鈥 means Long Beach students who meet CSU's minimum requirements are guaranteed a spot at 蜜桃影像.
鈥淚f they apply,鈥 Sims said of LBSUD students who meet the criteria, 鈥渢hen they're coming to The Beach.鈥
The ultimate goal, he said, is not only to get more local students to college, but to get them through it. That's why the program offers all Promise students access to academic support, counseling services, networking events, scholarships and internship opportunities.
Did you know?
The Long Beach College Promise
- All 蜜桃影像 and LBCC students who graduated from the Long Beach Unified School District are part of the Promise.
- The Promise qualifies students for two free years at LBCC.
- The Promise offers guaranteed admittance to 蜜桃影像 鈥 both for first-time and transfer students 鈥 as long as they meet the minimum requirements.
The challenge, Sims said, is that the Promise鈥檚 reach often goes unseen, even to those who benefit from it. That鈥檚 why he and his campus partners are looking to expand awareness 鈥 ensuring that every eligible student understands what the Promise offers, how it can help them and why it matters.
"The College Promise is a program that鈥檚 invested in making sure Long Beach can retain its talent,鈥 Sims said. 鈥淯ltimately, the goal is for us to get Long Beach residents to go to school in Long Beach and earn living-wage and high-wage jobs here.鈥
To track success, he said, 蜜桃影像, LBCC and LBUSD recently developed a data-sharing agreement to create a scorecard that will analyze persistence rates, graduation rates and workforce outcomes. The goal is to pinpoint where support is needed, particularly for underrepresented students.
鈥淲e want to make sure we鈥檙e making a real impact,鈥 Sims said.

'Competition pushed us'
In the meantime, the Cooper twins are proof that investing in local talent pays off.

Like many Promise students, the brothers attended Long Beach City College for two years before transferring to The Beach, where they enrolled in all the same classes, applied for the same part-time jobs and split the cost of books and parking permits. The cost-savings and camaraderie were obvious benefits of the arrangement. But, as sports fans, they enjoyed the competitive aspect just as much.
鈥淚f I got a 93 on an exam and my brother got a 94, I wasn鈥檛 happy,鈥 Markel said. 鈥淭hat competition pushed us.鈥
It keeps pushing them.
Markel teaches PE at Hoover Middle School, Martel at Stephens Middle School, and both run a fitness program cleverly titled Double Impakt. They are passionate about mentoring and committed to getting as many of their students on the college path as possible.
Touring 蜜桃影像鈥檚 campus is the most effective route they鈥檝e found to do that.
"I tell my students, 鈥業 went to Long Beach State. This is where I sat. This is where I learned,鈥欌 Markel said. 鈥淎nd suddenly, they鈥檙e all ears."
The twins have lives independent of each other, of course. Markel is engaged to be married, and Martel is raising a daughter. But they have apartments only minutes from each other and are saving up to buy homes of their own.
鈥淲e never imagined we鈥檇 be in this position,鈥 Markel said. 鈥淏ut here we are.鈥
And that鈥檚 the real promise 鈥 not just a program, not just a degree, but living proof that the path exists.