Name and pronouns: Marq Loza (he/him/his)
Cohort year: 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
Where are you living now: Des Moines, Iowa
What I’m doing now: Career Planner and Adult Educator
How has Life Together impacted your life?
Life Together opened some amazing opportunities for me. My fellowship years were on the South Coast of Massachusetts. The work through my site placement focused on worker’s rights, but this experience made me aware of my love of learning. I learned about the living history of manufacturing and immigration in America, as well as the struggles faced by communities that see their jobs disappear. Our program on the South Coast encouraged us to engage with the community outside our placement, so on my free time I became involved with Portuguese United for Education, a non-profit language school that celebrates the history of Portuguese-speaking peoples and the multicultural roots of the South Coast. With them, I learned to speak the Portuguese language and they reviewed my application for a Master’s Program at the University of Coimbra, in Portugal.
At the end of my two-year experience with Life Together I packed up and moved to the other side of the Atlantic, where I was successful in completing the Master’s program entirely in Portuguese. Of course, this was in large part thanks to my experience in Life Together and the South Coast community that prepared me for the adventure. Although I had the opportunity to stay in Portugal, I decided that after my master’s it was time to return to the United States. I wanted to start a career and hoped to find something true to what I learned about myself during my years in Life Together: I wanted service and learning at the core of my career.
I moved to Des Moines, Iowa in the fall of 2019 and took a job teaching a High School Equivalency curriculum to adult learners. The community college I work for was starting a new group for Spanish-speaking adults pursuing their High School Diploma, and they asked if I would help develop and teach the curriculum. I was fascinated to find a job that had would demand so much service and learning, so this became my focus for two years. Once the program was in place and it required less hours I continued teaching but started another job through the State of Iowa, as a career planner. In this role I assist people from all social and cultural backgrounds transition to new careers. On a daily basis I meet people who are curious or excited to start something new, but I also meet those who are experiencing very difficult moments, trying to figure out what comes next for themselves and for their families.
It is an honor to serve. I am thankful for the many experiences that exposed me and equipped me to meet people of diverse backgrounds and recognize all as my neighbors. Although my time in Life Together seems distant at times, I don’t forget that building community happens intentionally, and I plan on continuing to learn, to serve and to walk with others, whether the connection feels evident or perhaps non-existent.