Guor Mading Maker, founder and CEO of Accuracy Tutoring Services, will receive the 2022 Alumni Humanitarian Award at the Iowa State University Alumni Association awards ceremony on Nov. 4. The award recognizes ISU alumni for outstanding humanitarian efforts that transcend purely professional accomplishments and bring honor to the university.
Maker has spent his life running. He ran from Messiria militiamen and Sudanese soldiers in a during a civil war in his home country of South Sudan. When he found refuge in Concord, New Hampshire, he ran competitively and caught the attention of Iowa State. In 2011, Maker graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Iowa State and All-American honors.
Following graduation, Maker continued running and competed in the 2012 Olympic games in London as an independent athlete, as South Sudan did not yet have an Olympic committee. Maker returned to the 2016 Olympics, competing under the South Sudan flag.
In 2017, Maker enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate his appreciation for the opportunities America gave him. As the founder of Accuracy Tutoring Services, he seeks to help students tackle educational challenges through his tutoring company, and works for peace in the world around him.