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In this interview, Marcus Banks Jr. discusses his upbringing in the sports world and those who have positively influenced his journey as a basketball player. A native of the Williamsburg and Newport News areas, Banks begins by explaining who introduced him to the game of basketball and how he fell in love with it. He discusses his experience with basketball prior to college, transferring to different high schools, and the process by which he developed his skills on and off the court, as well as how he was able to overcome adversity. He speaks on what the game has meant to him throughout his life, the various coaches who have helped mold him into the young man he is today, and teammates he has had the pleasure of playing alongside. Finally, Marcus elaborates on the countless lessons, skills, and experiences that basketball has afforded him, and how these things can be applied to other areas of his life.

In the following interview, Gabe Dorsey discusses his early childhood and how his parents instilled an unwavering dedication to work, discipline, and spirituality. Gabe recalls deriving his name from the biblical archangel Gabriel, who declared to the Virgin Mary that she had been selected to bear the Son of God and served as a touchstone throughout his upbringing. He describes attending church every Sunday with his immediate family—his mother, father, two older brothers, and grandparents—and values the faith he observed between his parents as a marital unit. Gabe also reflects on how family, early education, and recreational athletics led him to pursue and compete in collegiate basketball at the College of William & Mary. He credits his father, a former college basketball player, with inspiring him and emphasizing the academic benefits of such a sport. I completed the interview for an assignment in the Williamsburg Documentary Project, taught by Professor Michelle Lelièvre.