(CLINTON, N.C.) – In 2010, Marvin Albert Meza Jarquín, his parents, and his four siblings immigrated from Nicaragua to North Carolina. In Nicaragua, Marvin’s family consisted of coffee and cattle farmers. He had grown up in Nicaragua until he was sixteen years old. When his family moved to North Carolina, Marvin continued his high school education in the United States. After finishing high school, Marvin decided to take another step on his educational journey at Sampson Community College (SCC).
When moving to the United States, Marvin had to learn the English language. Back in Nicaragua, Marvin was eligible to graduate, but when he and his family immigrated, he had to restart his high school education. Marvin attended Lakewood High School and was able to graduate in two and half years. While in high school, Marvin knew that he wanted further his education by attending college. He wanted to save money, so he decided to attend SCC for two years to earn both his Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees.
When asked about his time at SCC, Marvin replied, “I had wonderful instructors that were supportive from the get-go. Some were more challenging than others and I cherish that they were challenging because the University of North Carolina is very rigorous. There was never a teacher who wasn’t helping me grow as a student and who wasn’t giving me the right amount of challenge.”
While at SCC, Marvin knew that he wanted to transfer to a university after graduation. In 2015, he transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). While at this four-year university, Marvin received a bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a second major in Spanish literature. He chose this as a double major because he wanted to stay connected with his Hispanic culture.
While at UNC he was a teacher assistant in organic chemistry, he wrote for a bilingual magazine, and he also instructed students at a bilingual elementary school. Marvin is currently enrolled in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill.
Marvin stated, “What made me really gravitate towards medicine was witnessing some discrepancies in healthcare outcomes for patients in rural areas, for example Sampson County. There is a very large percentage of uninsured people there. I think it is close to eighteen percent in Sampson County. To me that is unacceptable and because of that, there will be poor health care outcomes because people cannot go to the doctor because they cannot afford it.”
Marvin has had to work extremely hard to get to where he is today. While at SCC his hard work did not go unnoticed. He has truly gone the extra mile. From coming to the United States, having to attend high school over again, to now being on track to become a health professional, Marvin has put in the hard work to accomplish his goals.
Jennifer Eavenson, SCC Math Instructor, commented on Marvin’s efforts during his time at SCC.
“Marvin was determined to be successful. He worked exceptionally hard in order to graduate early. He was bright, articulate and had a personality to match his wit. He instantly put those around him at ease and had them smiling in no time. Marvin has a heart of gold and I have no doubt he will be a great leader wherever he goes.” Eavenson stated.
His time at SCC was a key steppingstone in his educational path. While at SCC, Marvin recognized the wonderful and supportive instructors that he was in constant contact with. Marvin also noticed the challenge that his SCC courses and instructors provided him with him. He believes that he needed these challenging courses for the time that he spent at UNC.
Marvin Albert Meza Jarquín has a great future ahead of him after he graduates from medical school. Though, he has not decided what type of medicine that he is going to specialize in, he potentially wants to pursue primary care. He knows that he wants to return to Sampson County to give back to the community. Sampson Community College is immensely proud to be one of the many stops along Marvin’s path.
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education.
