Faith, Stage, and Purpose

Growing up in a family of modest means, Marco longed to continue the kind of faith-centered education he’d known since childhood. “It was an answer to prayer,” he recalls, “when Mr. Jack Green, Maranatha’s principal at the time, made it possible for me to attend.”

In 1968, he joined a small but spirited student body at the young Maranatha High School campus in Rosemead. The close-knit community and dedicated teachers made an impression that would last a lifetime. “Maranatha’s family environment encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and explore talents that might never have developed in a large public school,” he says.

One teacher in particular, Mr. Chuck Stearns, Maranatha’s first drama instructor, sparked a lifelong passion for the arts. “He awakened my love for theater and acting as a way of expressing myself,” Marco shares. “He helped us develop confidence, creativity, teamwork, empathy, and sensitivity toward others—values that seem so needed in today’s world.”

That early inspiration set the stage—literally—for Marco’s future. After graduation, he pursued a professional acting career, drawing on the perseverance and faith that had been nurtured at Maranatha. “The school reminded me that we’re connected to something higher,” he says. “It gave me a solid foundation for the challenges and joys that followed.”

To today’s students, Marco offers this encouragement, anchored in Hebrews 11:1: ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’

“Believe that it’s possible,” he says, “and God will do the rest. There’s a tremendous spiritual force working behind the scenes in your life. Trust it. God wants the best for you and is ready to open the doors for your God-given talents.”