From an early age, Juan remembers the feeling of abandonment. Abandoning his home in Guatemala in hopes of a better future in the United States. Feeling abandoned by the death of his father and the separation from his older brother. Being left alone when his parents moved away, leaving him in the care of extended relatives.
During more than a decade of feeling abandoned, Juan Domingo remembers every Wednesday a volunteer from his middle school, Tammy, would pull up in his neighborhood inviting him to church. Every week he would say no and continue playing soccer in his yard. One Wednesday, however, something changed, and he said yes to Tammy’s invitation.
“It was during that time that I started to see that the Christian life was something that I really wanted,” Juan remembers, “Because of how committed Tammy was and the things that she was doing for me that no one had ever done before. She was always talking about God and how much he had done in her life and how much he could do in my life.”
Through this Christian woman’s kindness, Juan began to see how God had been with him throughout all his abandonment. And by the end of his high school days, Juan had been adopted twice—firstly into the family of God and secondly into Tammy’s family.
It’s Juan’s story that inspired him to pursue a degree in business management. Without the impact of Tammy and other Christians like her, he never would have found hope in Christ and a future through Point University. Juan hopes to start or direct a non-profit organization that serves under-privileged children—ones that, like him, live with the feeling of abandonment every day.
“Helping these kids that have a similar story to me is something I’m really passionate about,” says Juan.
Through his Point education, Juan is able to fulfill his passions through learning the foundational skills that are required to maintain a successful non-profit. In addition to his business major, his biblical studies minor (required of all Point students) provides him with the Christian doctrine and practice to care for those around him.
Even more than the academic and professional growth he has received at Point is his spiritual and personal development. Through the mentorship of older students, faculty and staff, Juan has been able to overcome bitterness and anger from his past and use his story as a testimony of God’s faithfulness. In everything that he did, and plans to do, Point has prepared Juan to use his past experiences and his present education to impact lives in the future.