If he had settled, Juan Carlos Molina might be in Delaware right now. Not that he has anything against Delaware, but “The First State” wasn’t his first choice, so when he was offered a scholarship to attend college there, he took a gap year and tried again for his top choice, CBU.
Early on, Carlos was not sure if he would attend college after high school, but his parents pushed him to continue his education. They didn’t have that opportunity and wanted it for him.
“My mom couldn’t finish school,” said Carlos. “When she was a little kid, she was run over, hit by a car, and her brain was damaged, so she stopped going to school early. My dad was taken out of school at 12 or 14 when his mom passed away. I felt like it was my responsibility to get a degree and a career. I needed to prove to myself and my parents that I could do more with their support.”
Turning down his first scholarship offer must have been a little stressful, but Carlos, who grew up in Atlanta, had his sights set on CBU for its programs, size and location.
“CBU was always my number one choice,” he said.
When Carlos was matched to CBU on his second try, he eagerly accepted. His parents drove him to Memphis and helped him settle into his dorm room. Once they were on the road back home, Carlos had the unsettling realization experienced by all new college students – he was on his own now in a new, unfamiliar place.
“All of a sudden, I needed to figure it out,” he said.
Slowly, Carlos joined student organizations and got to know people on campus. He decided to pivot from studying criminology, which interested him in high school, to engineering.
His psychology professor, Dr. Rodney Vogl, encouraged him to serve as vice president of the STARS (Students Tackling Autism-Related Syndromes) program. Carlos embraced this first leadership role and found he enjoyed doing things for others, such as making spaces comfortable for those with autism.
From there, he gained confidence and joined other campus organizations, including Campus Ministry, where he has led the Service and Justice initiatives.
“For me, ‘Enter to Learn. Leave to Serve.’ means taking care of your community,” said Carlos. “I think the seed was planted my freshman year, when I would go to the cafeteria and make sandwiches for the unhoused.”
That desire to get involved and give back eventually progressed to a role on the Directors Council running community events.
“I applied for the role because CBU offers a lot of service events, and they are always fun,” he said. “Whether it’s serving food to others or cutting weeds, I have truly had fun learning how to use tools or joking around at 7 a.m. Waking up and serving others can be a little tiring, but the reward is really great.”
He has built a life in Memphis and hopes to stay here for a few more years. In the future, he would like to pursue a master’s degree and possibly return to CBU as a professor. If that comes to pass, he plans to model his approach after Gene McGinnis, PE, the interim chair of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
“When I came to CBU, there was this one professor who I truly admired,” said Carlos. “He’s hard. He expects a lot. He expects you to do the work, study, and be prepared. If you are one minute late, he won’t accept the assignment. But you can bother him with questions all night, and he’ll answer. Every semester Mr. McGinnis disciplined me to be better and try harder. He expects a lot from you.”
Professor McGinnis was happy to vouch for his student and also share some kind words.
“Carlos is a pleasure to have in the classroom,” said McGinnis. “He is very conscientious and meticulous when it comes to his studies. He is a quiet leader who leads by example.”
Carlos is on track to graduate in December 2026 with a degree in engineering management with a concentration in construction.
