Marielle Guarin (’28) still remembers the feeling she had the first time she stepped onto Lipscomb's campus—a sense of home that would eventually shape not just where she went to college, but who she would become.
Originally from the Philippines, Marielle moved with her family to Sevierville, Tennessee, at age seven, when her mother immigrated to the U.S. to work as a physical therapist. The mountains became home, but when it was time to choose a college, Marielle found herself drawn to something deeper than geography.
“When I came on campus, the feeling of home and community, seeing everyone laughing together, talking with each other, it seemed really close knit,” she recalls. “It’s funny to say you can see that from the first visit, but I did.”
That first impression stuck with her and became one of the major reasons she chose Lipscomb. She also learned about Lipscomb’s global learning program on that first visit. Realizing that Lipscomb owned a villa in Florence, Italy, where she could spend a semester living and learning in another country, presented a pathway to pursue a lifelong dream.
“When I was in middle school even, I knew I wanted to study abroad,” Marielle says. “That’s exactly what I’m doing, and I’m so happy with my decision. … Florence is the perfect place to study abroad. It’s been so enlightening to experience the culture, the food and the language.”
And she’s doing it in the city that birthed the Renaissance, where the likes of Michaelangelo, Dante and many others created works that have endured for centuries and continue to influence human society.
These transformational learning experiences are helping her chart a course for her future, while she contemplates a career in management or marketing. As she navigates that journey, her ambition is helping her find the way: "I definitely want to challenge myself to be in a leadership position... in an environment where I continuously grow, and I never become stagnant. And I'm always solving a problem."
Marielle's story is still being written. But one thing is clear: She's not just building a career. She's building a life—one that honors both her drive to grow and her desire to be fully present, whether she’s in the hills of East Tennessee, the heart of Music City or a villa in Italy.
“There are no boundaries to any opportunity at Lipscomb.”
“There are no boundaries to any opportunity at Lipscomb. As long as you express interest, you are granted access with open arms, and that's what I love about it.”
Making the Most of Every Opportunity
Fulfilling a dream to study abroad
Lipscomb offers three semester-long global learning programs in Florence, London and Vienna to experience living and learning in another culture. “I'm learning the Italian language in Italy. I'm studying Renaissance art history in the birthplace of the Renaissance. I am eating the food, experiencing the culture. Just being immersed really helps you to connect and resonate with the things that you're learning.”
Enriching Scholars Programs
As a Swang Business Scholar and a member of the Dean’s Student Leadership Council, Marielle has met with CEOs and business leaders in Nashville. “We actually met the CEO of PuttShack, and we got to play a round [of mini golf] with him.
Networking in Music City
Marielle has benefitted from the opportunity to make personal and professional connections in Nashville, and you will too. “You have no idea how amazing it is that all of these huge corporations come to Lipscomb for recruiting… because you’re in such a hub of business.”
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