Celebrating 50 Years of Diversity at Church Farm School: Marvin Garcia '99

Where are you from? I was born in Nicaragua, and lived there until I was 7. My family immigrated to the US (NYC) and I spent the rest of my childhood in New York.

When did you come to CFS? In 8th grade, my Earth Science teacher, Ms. Alemani, informed my family about boarding school opportunities. I was dead set against leaving NYC. The first organization they placed me with was A Better Change , but the Boy’s Club of New York (BCNY) was a better match and they guided my parents and me through the application process. I remember visiting CFS in mid-August ‘95, getting picked up at Paoli train station by Dr. Devenney and driving through this very rural area. Seeing CFS for the first time was quite overwhelming ... tall corn fields as far as I could see, white medieval buildings ... but it was filled with very friendly and caring adults.

Was CFS a good fit for you? At first I was extremely homesick, and the fact that it was all boys did not help. I had gone to a six-week summer camp at the Hill School in preparation for boarding school and the camp was co-ed. So it felt weird at first. I made friends quickly and the student body and adults seemed to really care. The seniors were respected and you saw them as your big brothers. I also felt comfortable because there were several students from NYC. 

What do you value most about the experience? The relationships I was able to build and have kept since I graduated. I can still call on my friends from that time and catch up with them when I visit their hometowns. My best friend from CFS is still my best friend today, we have been each other’s best men, and are godfathers to each other's firstborn.

What are your favorite memories of the farm? Blizzard of ’96 ... I had been coming back from winter recess on the train from NYC, when the storm knocked out service and I got stuck at 30th Street Station. I had met up with one of the seniors coming back on the same train and we spent the entire time watching each other’s backs. We were able to get on the first train out to Paoli the next day, Weber [Lewis '80] picked us up in the red pickup truck, snow tires and all. When we got to school, there must have been about 2-3 feet of snow on the ground. We spent the days playing in the snow and having an awesome time.

How did the diversity of school prepare you for life after CFS? It was an opportunity to learn from others, see their perspective and a chance to make lifelong friendships with people I would have never met. It allowed me to have a different worldview, and to learn to appreciate other cultures and their differences and similarities.

What did you do after CFS and what you are doing now? I stayed in NYC and attended a community college for the first two years of college, it was located blocks from the World Trade Center. I was lucky enough that BCNY helped me get an internship at Morgan Stanley that summer, which extended to a two-year job. I decided that business was not for me and looked for a school out of the city that would have a good public health program; I transferred to SUNY Albany. After graduating, it took me about a year and half to finally get my dream job, Public Health Advisor, working for the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. I worked there for about 9 months, and was given the opportunity to relocate to Philadelphia, and work for the Dept. of Public Health. I mainly focused on working with individuals who had come into contact with infectious diseases. I enjoyed my job greatly at first, but after four years I decided I needed a change. I looked back to my dear old CFS and an opportunity to come and work here in the cottages became available. I had already become engaged to Shana [administrative and athletic support at CFS] at that time, so she took the leap of faith and came to work for CFS as well. We have both been here for the last 7 years and have started to raise our family here. It has and will continue to be an AWESOME ride!