Interview with Marc Guzman
A/APA Program Coordinator, Office of Dean of Students
By Virginia Lu
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
First of all, my family has been all around the world before settling here in the mid-Atlantic. I was born in Kuwait because both my parents(who are both Filipino) were working there at the time. Due to the tumultuous Gulf War, we were forced to leave our home in Kuwait and live with grandparents in the Philippines. I lived there for about 2 years before moving to New York City where I attended 1st grade. After a couple of years living in the Big Apple, we moved 20 minutes across the Hudson River to Hackensack, NJ where I spent most of my life until I graduated high school. I attended the University of Delaware where I graduated as a political science major (although I changed my major 4 times before that). While at UD I was heavily involved on-campus. I was a member of the UD Marching Band, a Spirit Ambassador (chosen by my class to represent them in alumni/administration/faculty/community events), a UD Admissions tour guide, an orientation leader for the Honors program, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Filipino Student Association, Asian Student Association, Honors Fellow (a peer advising/mentoring program, to freshman Honors students), club volleyball and bowling teams. During my experiences in admissions, orientation, and as an advisor to first-year students, I was mentored by a number of student affairs professionals and I soon realized my love for working in higher education and my passion for the “student experience”. During my senior year, I decided to forego my law school applications and instead apply for graduate programs in student affairs and counseling in higher education. I chose to stay at the University of Delaware for my Master’s degree because I had already created working relationships with the offices I worked with in undergrad and felt that I wanted to give back to the institution that did so much for me. While in grad school, I was an academic advisor and program coordinator intern for the Honors Program, a graduate assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences, an orientation intern for Monmouth University in NJ, and an intern for UD New Student Orientation. I also focused much of my research on underrepresented populations, transfer and commuter students, multicultural education, as well as the use of social media/technology in higher education/student affairs.
Tell us about how you ended up here at U.Va. and the position you hold now. What does this position entail?
While going through my job search during my last semester of grad school, I was mainly looking for academic adviser positions and some student life positions. When I found University of Virginia’s opening of this position, I was attracted to the complexities of this role and the opportunity of working with a diverse and multicultural population. Many aspects of my personal research and passions while in grad school were a big part of the program coordinator position. I was also attracted to U.Va.’s commitment to the student through the student selfgovernance and how much it allows students to take ownership of one’s college experience and to develop their leadership skills. This position included advising the Peer Advising Family Network(PAFN), helping students facilitate a number of leadership experiences, coordinating APAutumn and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month(APAHM), and a number of other initiatives and programs. This position also provides support for the more than 40 CIOs under the A/APA umbrella.
What are you trying to accomplish here at U.Va. in terms of personal goals and objectives for the A/APA community?
Personally, I want to provide an effective foundation for students to really grow and develop into leaders and engaged members of the community, both here at U.Va. and in the larger community. I want to challenge students to think outside the box, be innovative and visionary, but also to make sure that they don’t forget the little details. Some of my goals are to allow for more collaboration not just within student groups but with faculty, alumni, different offices on-grounds, and the surrounding community. I put emphasis on the fact that while we are within a U.Va. community of students, there is more than just here. It is easy to get stuck in the U.Va. bubble and focus on issues that relate to just U.Va. students. There is a larger community out there and I want to encourage students to think contextually but also globally, and to find ways to give back and be partners with the community.
What are your thoughts for the upcoming school year? What are you looking forward to most?
I am excited to have students come back to grounds as the summer has been quiet. I can’t wait to meet the new first-years but also to connect with current upper-class students. I’ve always heard how passionate, involved, and active students are here at U.Va. and I can’t wait to hear from students about their experiences, passions, and goals. I personally am looking forward to celebrating the 15th anniversary in 2013 of the A/APA Programs & Services through the Office of Dean of Students. Such a celebration is still in the works but details will be shared upon confirmation. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for this, please contact me!
Now a few fun facts– what’s your favorite type of food, music and animal? And why? Tell us about some of your hobbies or pastimes.
For food, I am such a global eater. I love foods of different cultures and can eat anything. It would be hard to pick my favorite type of food so I’ll pick my top 3: Greek, Thai, and Spanish. I also must not forget my love for Filipino cuisine, especially sweet & icy desserts like Halo-Halo on a hot summer day.
I love many types of music but anything with acoustic guitar has to be my favorite. I also jam out to hip hop, rock, and on some days you can find my blasting classical music and orchestral greats while driving in my car. Music makes up a huge part of my life ( I play piano, guitar, French horn, trumpet, and I also sing). A fun fact is that I used to be a part of the 10-time World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (which can be described as a more professional form of marching band), where I played the mellophone and also spun rifle in the color guard. In my spare time, I instruct high school marching bands and indoor color guards.
I enjoy playing volleyball, bowling, and playing lacrosse when I’m not busy (I played all three competitively in high school and college). I also love to cook and try out different cuisines. I love to play music and jam with other people. I am huge concert go-er. Last year I went to about 15 concerts. My most recent concert was seeing the band “Fun.” in Philadelphia in early August.
Another fun fact is that I’m an actor in the Screen Actors Guild, and I have been in some commercials and movies. More recently, I was a background actor in “Safe” starring Jason Statham and I will be in “Silver Linings Playbook” starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer, Lawrence, and Robert DeNiro which will come out this Thanksgiving.
What is the best advice you can give someone who is in school now?
Your career and your life are two separate things. Enhance your educational experience by taking part in activities, internships, or jobs that are in your field so that you have a better idea of what your career might be like but you should also find new things to participate in that are not related to school, so you can be wellrounded and maybe find new passions and hobbies in life. Also, while school and academics should be a huge priority, spend time with your friends. These are the people you’ll be friends with for the rest of your life, and what better way to work on your social skills and relationship building with than people that you’re stuck with for 4 years? When you graduate, you’ll wish you spent more time with them…believe me.
What’s the best advice you can give someone who has graduated and has joined the workforce?
Starting a new life can be difficult, especially in that transition from being a student into becoming a full-fledged adult (believe me, I’m right there with you). But when things get hard, just remember that such things are not permanent and that big things come from small and humble beginnings. Take pride in your trials, learn from them, and understand that each day is a lesson but also a blessing.
Final words
I can’t wait to start the year. I encourage everyone to get in touch with me by phone (924-4195) or e-mail mguzman@virginia) or even stop by my office in Newcomb.