Marcus Engel

Marcus Engel lived these horrific moments… but that is only the beginning of the story. On a cold autumn night during his freshman year of college, Marcus’ life took a dramatic turn. Following a Saturday night hockey game, Marcus and some friends were headed to a local diner for a midnight snack. They never made it.

As the carload of teenagers pulled into a busy intersection, a drunk driver traveling at twice the speed limit slammed broadside into the small Toyota; only a thin piece of metal separated Marcus from the full impact of the oncoming vehicle.

When he awoke to a world he would never again see, Marcus faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles: survive hundreds of hours of reconstructive facial surgery, adapt to blindness and find happiness in a world changed forever.

While still restricted to a hospital bed, a feeding tube and respirator, Marcus set his goal: return to college as quickly as possible. This goal would sustain him through two years of medical recovery, a six-month stint at rehab school and one month training with a new Seeing Eye dog.

Not only did Marcus accept and embrace the challenge, but the life lessons he learned are now the guiding forces that inspire hundreds of thousands every day.