Staying on Path

Inspired by his brother’s health scare, chemistry student is determined to overcome any barriers in his way

By Maurice Ndole (’07, ’11)

A serotonin molecule structure tattoo on his right wrist summarizes Marvin Cornejo’s attitude toward life — optimism and resilience.

Serotonin is a brain chemical that regulates mood, sleep and various functions in the human body, contributing to feelings of happiness and well-being.

“I got [the tattoo] as a reminder of my love for chemistry and my path toward medical school,” says Cornejo, a senior chemistry major at Fresno State.

But despite his positivity, Cornejo’s path to Fresno State was paved with challenges that would make most give up.

Cornejo arrived in the U.S. from El Salvador when he was 16 years old in 2016. He was an unaccompanied minor making a second attempt at a treacherous journey in the hands of human smugglers known as coyotes.

His first attempt to seek asylum in the U.S. occurred in late 2015. Cornejo says the journey was excruciating. It took almost three months, and he ended up in a juvenile detention center in Mexico and was deported back to El Salvador.

A few months later, Cornejo made the second attempt. The journey lasted nearly a month, landing him on the border between the U.S. and Mexico and into the hands of the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.

Cornejo is from Azacualpa, a village in Cabañas state, El Salvador, which he estimates had a population of 200 at his departure. Cornejo said his future looked dire because education was not easily accessible.

“My village only had a school up to the sixth grade, so to access higher education, I had to travel. It wasn’t easy, as my family didn’t have the financial means to support that,” Cornejo says.

The lack of schools made students vulnerable to violent gangs.

“Gangs would recruit young people. If you refused [to join], you were seen as a rival gang member. It could be life-threatening. There were instances of students being killed, and I often felt unsafe walking to school,” Cornejo says.

Safety concerns for her son prompted Cornejo’s mother to send him on a journey to the U.S. to join his father, who was living in Mendota.

Inspired to pursue medicine

Cornejo says, since childhood, he desired an education beyond what was available in his village. He dreamed of becoming a doctor, an ambition fueled by his brother’s medical scare. Cornejo witnessed his parents’ gratitude when an El Salvadorian doctor removed a life-threatening tumor from his brother’s head.

“Seeing the impact of that surgeon on my family left an impression on me. They treated him like a hero,” Cornejo says. “That made me want to be a hero for others, to solve problems, and to make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

At Fresno State, Cornejo says he found the support to pursue his dream.

He points out CSM 10 and CSM 15 as integral courses that helped to prepare him to major in chemistry. CSM 10, the scientific methods, and CSM 15, evidence-based decision- making, are classes geared toward laying a solid foundation for students majoring in courses offered within the College of Science and Mathematics.

The support he has received has made him grateful to the Valley. He hopes to return to serve in the region that has long had a shortage in health care providers.

“With my medical degree, I want to come back to the Central Valley,” Cornejo said. “It’s the community that opened its arms when I arrived in this country.”

Resources to succeed

Even with the support, things have not been easy. As an undocumented student seeking asylum, Cornejo has at times lacked basic needs such as food or money to pay bills and tuition, forcing him to take breaks from school and prolonging his path to graduation.

When he lacked food, Cornejo says he relied on the Amendola Family Student Cupboard, a Fresno State resource that provides students with free food and hygiene products.

And he credits the Dream Act for providing financial aid to get him to this point — he is on track to graduate in May 2024 with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and Spanish, before applying for medical school.

Because of his immigration status, he could only work with a permit.

“I applied for my latest work permit renewal in July 2022, but it wasn’t approved until [September 2023]. So, I couldn’t work for an entire year,” Cornejo says. “I could have graduated in spring 2023, but I dropped out because I couldn’t pay the fees for the spring semester.”

With dreams to pursue a medical degree after graduating in 2024, Marvin Cornejo credits the Dream Act and campuses resources for helping him stay on track to complete his education.

Despite the challenges, Cornejo, now in his fifth year at Fresno State, has found ways to get through his education using on-campus resources. He mentioned the Health Careers Opportunity Program as an example of a support system that has given him insight into the requirements to build a career in the medical field. He has also regularly used Supplemental Instruction, which he said has come in handy to succeed “in tough chemistry courses.”

To give back, he has volunteered with different programs, such as Westside Youth in Mendota, an organization that assists in providing food and clothing for people experiencing homelessness and mentoring at-risk youth.

At Fresno State, he has served as a supplemental instructor for organic chemistry.

As he continues to settle in the U.S., Cornejo worries about his mother and three sisters in El Salvador.

“I stay in touch with my mom and sisters through messages and social media,” Cornejo says. “We talk about what’s happening in our lives. My family situation has been challenging, but we do our best to keep in contact.”

Cornejo is optimistic for his future, determined to overcome any barriers that stand in his way.

“My background and everything I’ve been through inspires me to keep going. I’ve come too far to give up now, no matter what happens,” Cornejo says. “I’ve done so much, and I can’t let it go to waste. I’ve held onto my dreams, and I plan to achieve them. Dreams can come true with determination and planning.”

– Maurice Ndole is the media and communications specialist in the College of Science and Mathematics at Fresno State.