“Marvin Pineda Lopez is a student at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. His journey from his home country of Guatemala to CIU is full of God-appointments and clear direction. The 2020 pandemic broke out while he was enjoying a year of cultural and language study at a high school in Pennsylvania. He was planning to study architecture at a Guatemalan university, but to retain legal status as he waited on Guatemala to reopen its borders, he was advised to apply at a college in the United States. God clearly opened the door for him to study at CIU, redirecting his life and providing for all his expenses for the last 3 semesters through scholarships, grants, and gifts from his friends and church.

Marvin is starting his junior year this Fall. He is majoring in Intercultural Studies, with a minor in TESOL. In spite of English being his second language, he has maintained a 3.96 GPA. He is a focused, committed, and skilled young man. He does everything with gusto and a healthy dose of humility, always thankful to God for the opportunities he receives. This year, Marvin needs $8190 to fully cover his school tuition. Thank you for joining in what God is doing in Marvin’s life!”