Meet Cornelius

I was born in Springfield Massachusetts to a Springfield firefighter and a homemaker. At the age of 5 my mother myself and my 3 siblings moved to Worcester Massachusetts. My childhood was spent in the Lakeside Avenue Housing Project. It was a great place to grow up. There was always plenty of sports, fishing and swimming  in Coes Pond, and the occasional character -building punch in the nose.  Every day was an adventure and never boring. Lakeside Ave. was a great training ground for the Marine Corps. Many of my friends became Marines or served in one of the other branches.

I graduated from St. John's High School in Shrewsbury Massachusetts. I earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from St. Michael's College located in Winooski Vermont. I went on to receive a Master's Degree in Education from Fitchburg State and a Master's Degree in Urban Education from Clark University. At Clark, I was the Jacob Hyatt Fellow. I also completed the Worcester State University Cohort Program in Education Administration.

I believe my work history gives me a variety of experience that will be beneficial in Congress. I am a 20 year Marine Corps Veteran. During college, I was an enlisted Marine Rifleman in the reserves. After college, I graduated from the 119th Officer Candidates Class and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. During my 4 years of active duty, I was assigned to be an Amphibious Assault Vehicle, see above video, Platoon Commander in both the 1st Marine Division Camp Pendleton, and the 3rd Marine Division Okinawa Japan. My last assignment on active duty was at Quantico Virginia where I served as a Leadership Instructor at Officer Candidates School.

In the Marine Corps Reserves, I served as an Infantry Platoon Commander, Executive Officer, Infantry Company Commander and Battalion Operations Officer. I was the Armor Control Officer for two Team Spirit Exercises in the Republic of Korea. I was Honorably Discharged from the Marine Corps first as a Lance Corporal and secondly as a Major.

After leaving active duty from the Marine Corps, I worked for AT&T in the corporate world for 5 years. I was an Account Executive in White Plains N.Y. managing 300 mid sized accounts in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. I also served as a Sales Manager in Boston Massachusetts. I managed 12 Sales Representatives and thousands of accounts throughout New England. It was at this time I met my wife and passed up a promotion opportunity to New Jersey.

I became a Worcester Public School Teacher working at St. Casimer's Alternative School. As a teacher at both my day school and night school at the Gerald Creamer Center, I helped over 1000 of the most at risk students in Worcester obtain High School Diplomas. Over the course of my teaching career, I was able to be an assistant football coach at North High and the indoor and outdoor boys track coach at Doherty High.

I love America, but right now I am worried about her future. The shining city upon a hill has grown dim. What bothers me the most is that many of our problems are self- inflicted. I am running for Congress because I believe I can do a better job. As an independent, I will put country over party. Together let's heal America for our children and grandchildren.