Why is MJC professor running 48 miles in 2 days? To aid students. You can help, too.
By Sunday night, Modesto Junior College Professor Sam Pierstorff plans to run almost the distance of two full marathons.
The English professor, who competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2014 and 2017, is no stranger to physical tests, but this one is particularly important to him. He’s running a 48-mile challenge to raise money for the Pirates’ Micro-Grant Program at MJC.
The 4x4x48 Challenge, started by a former Navy Seal, requires participants to run four miles every four hours for 48 hours.
That means every four hours beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Pierstorff will go outside and run four miles until he’s done. And then – no matter how long those last four miles took – he’ll start his next run at the next four-hour mark.
“I’m trying to use the run as a metaphor for students and the obstacles they need to get over to graduate,” the English professor said. “A lot of pain, a lot of stress.”
Pierstorff has raised more than $9,500 for the microgrant program as of Thursday night, according to his donation page. His goal is to reach $12,000 by the time the challenge is over.
The program, which Pierstorff helped revitalize a couple years ago after raising money for a student experiencing homelessness, offers students $50 to $300 “compassion grants.” In the past, the money has funded everyday needs such as a new phone screen, a car battery or groceries.
“We have to be able to see our students with very challenging lives, and if we can help, we should,” Pierstorff said.
MJC Foundation says more than 450 microgrants distributed
George Boodrookas, executive director of the Modesto Junior College Foundation, said more than 450 grants have been distributed since January 2020. He attributed some of that to the COVID-19 pandemic, which placed additional hardship on students.
While the money itself is undoubtedly an important resource, Boodrookas said the program also helps show students that the school and its faculty and staff want to help them succeed.
“It’s the feeling of being cared for that’s so critical,” Boodrookas said.
Boodrookas said Pierstorff has been a beacon of that compassion on campus, both through this challenge and his everyday interactions with students.
“The empathy he’s expressing, it’s real, and his students will tell you that,” Boodrookas said.
Deirdre Korst, 33, knows firsthand how big a difference Pierstorff and these grants can make.
Korst lost her student worker job last spring when COVID-19 shut the campus down, and she was worried about being able to feed her 6-year-old.
“I was struggling – everybody was,” Korst said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Pierstorff was Korst’s first professor in college. He’d helped her find her an on-campus job, so she reached out to him again hoping he knew someone else who was hiring. Since the pandemic shut down most businesses at the time, Pierstorff helped Korst secure a $300 microgrant instead.
“At the time I was worried about everything, and that grant, it helped me pay some bills and buy some food and feed my child,” Korst said. “It was a blessing.”
Korst said she plans to keep up with Pierstorff’s progress on social media this weekend. She’s excited to see how his efforts will affect the microgrant program long term and help other students like herself.
“I know in my case, not just the grant, but Sam in general has inspired me to be a better person,” Korst said.
To donate, go to: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/samjou/
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 6:44 AM.
