Now retired from a career in engineering, with multiple university degrees, Marcos participates on various non-profit boards and volunteers with many organizations, paying forward many opportunities of which he himself was a recipient.  “I don't buy this idea of a ‘self-made man’ or ‘self-made person.’ You are who you are because of the people around you and your influences.” For Marcos, to be a Christian means to go out and find people to accompany, a belief that drives his every action.

A Hand-Up to Higher Education

Marcos received an unexpected hand-up to higher education from a group connected with the former Saint Ann Newman Center in Palo Alto. Amongst its members was Edda Ritson, who became Marcos' friend.  “She's a saint in my life,” Marcos explained. “Her organization gave me a scholarship for 100 dollars a semester. In 1972, San Jose State University tuition was only 72 dollars a semester, so it also paid for my books.”  Marcos would eventually be recruited by General Electric, which allowed him to achieve fully funded master's degrees from Santa Clara University and the University of California at Berkeley

“I was just very fortunate that I paid zero for my entire education. That's why I have all these banners up here.” He indicated the three pendants of his alma maters hanging on his wall in his Zoom interview. Marcos also described how he once asked Edda about the origins of her organization, and she commented, “We were just a bunch of white hippies in Palo Alto who thought the Church should be doing more.” Edda eventually asked Marcos to join the board of the Catholic Interracial Education Fund (CIEF), which later was renamed the Mabel B. Wright Education Fund. He is now the president of the fund, which gives college scholarships to students of color.

The Catholic Extension Society Border Immersion Trip

In the Spring of 2024, Marcos traveled to immerse himself in the Church’s outreach to its predominantly Catholic, densely populated, and rural population. There, they met with Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville and Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, among others. They also worked with Sister Fatima Santiago and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who run the Proyecto de Desarrollo Humano or the Human Development Project.  The project has brought services such as HeadStart, homework help opportunities, English as a Second Language classes, and other wellness programs to two colonias in rural Brownsville.

Their work deeply moved Marcos. “Their courage and perseverance and all that was just amazing. And they're so active, which was not surprising, but it was just inspiring to see.” The sisters’ outreach today is threatened by lawsuits and Marcos found himself most impressed by the sisters’ resilience in the face of such adversity.

Gratitude and Faith in Jesus

Marcos’ belief that no one is self-made, and that success is largely due to others' generosity stems from his background, which compels Marcos to volunteer his time to various organizations with great gratitude. “The idea of crediting oneself with success is foreign even to the Gospel. I'm grateful that I was born in another country, and I was born poor because I've lived through both sides of it.” Presently, he mentors students at Cristo Rey High School, with Catholic Charities’ Handicapables program, and with Amigos de Guadalupe. He maintains, “You are who you are because of the people who helped you.  That is why I always tell the kids to learn from everyone. Duplicate the good and avoid the bad.”  He holds the marrow-deep conviction that faith without works is dead. “That's so important: venturing out and trying to find all of God's people.”  

He admits, “I have to remind myself I'm doing these things because of my faith and what Jesus is to me.”  He reflected on the person of Jesus, saying, “I look at Jesus, I read in Matthew’s Gospel, ‘Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Mt 24:10 NABRE); that is the mortar that connects all of us. It tells me that we are called to give our lives to save someone else.”  Marcos continued, “Jesus challenges me. In everything I do, I try to reflect on whether it is consistent with what Jesus Christ taught and whether it is best for all, not just myself. Again, He is the mortar that helps me, helps all of us, to connect with others and to understand our interconnectedness with all of God's children.”