Georgia State Student Goes From No College Ambition to Future Scientist

ATLANTA — Marvin Center (B.S. ’25, B.A. ’25) thought college wasn’t in the cards for him. With a father, grandfather and two brothers who served in the military, college wasn’t the typical path for his family. When Center was in the sixth grade, his father passed away, and his academic flame was nearly extinguished.

While his high school classmates discussed college applications, Center picked up shifts at grocery stores, ice cream parlors and coffee shops, assuming this would be his path forward. It was his high school sweetheart, now spouse, who convinced him to apply to Georgia State University.

“My spouse saw that I enjoyed learning and knew that I had potential to find a career that would be more fulfilling for me than food service. They knew that Georgia State had the resources available to let me reach my full potential and passionate professors who could mentor and inspire me to do the best I could,” Center said.

Center enrolled at Georgia State with dreams of becoming a doctor who was also fluent in Spanish. Initially, he dual enrolled as a biology major with a pre-medical concentration, as well as in World Languages and Cultures, with a concentration in Spanish Language and Cultures. However, he quickly realized that the pre-med path was not for him. A summer chemistry course changed his academic trajectory.

“Everybody told me it was going to be one of the hardest classes,” Center said. “But I loved it, and I immediately knew that I wanted to find a way to work in chemistry.”

While he focused his studies on a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, Center struggled with personal challenges, including living with a chronic pain disorder and navigating housing insecurity. Instead of giving up, Center leaned on his mentors at Georgia State, like Principal Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Rebecca Rizzo.

“I watched Marvin navigate personal challenges, loss and academic challenges throughout his GSU journey with grace and fortitude to rise victoriously,” Rizzo said. “He embodies The State Way with his whole self. I am proud to know him and humbled to have had the chance to work with him at GSU.”

By his sophomore year, Center received the prestigious Beckman Scholarship, which allowed him the opportunity to participate in high-level research as an undergraduate. Although his primary major was chemistry, he joined a neuroscience lab working with fruit flies, a model organism for neurological research. He went from learning about the fundamentals of neuroscience to conducting independent experiments under the guidance of the lab’s director, former Neuroscience Institute Director and College of Arts & Sciences Associate Dean Dan Cox.

"For me, it was always really about making sure that I was doing well in the lab, but also just learning as much as I could. I love learning. I don’t really care what field it’s in. I saw an opportunity and I took it, and it’s worked out really well for me,” Center said.

The student who once doubted if he belonged in college has now become the student everyone wants to know. As president of the chemistry club, a research assistant in the Neuroscience Institute and mentor to Honors and STEM students, Center has already left a legacy at Georgia State.

“Whenever I’m at events, people will come up to me and ask for advice on research, getting scholarships or which classes to take,” Center said. “I hope that’s the way people see me after I leave — that I was always helpful. I helped them find opportunities and be the best that they could.”

His academic trophy case now overflows with recognition, receiving more than 20 scholarships and awards including the Gilman International Study Abroad Scholarship, which allowed him to study abroad in Ecuador, the Bradford Scott Beerman Memorial Scholarship in chemistry and the Undergraduate Award in world languages and cultures during his final semester.

Center arrived at Georgia State with dreams of becoming a medical doctor. After graduating from Georgia State this May, he plans to attend Arizona State University this fall to pursue a master’s degree in biology and then is setting his sights on a doctorate after that. Center plans to research drug discovery and develop treatments for pain disorders like his own. But his most cherished goal reveals the true measure of his character — to become the mentor he once needed.

“I really want to focus on mentoring students, particularly first-gen and people who aren’t necessarily represented in the sciences,” Center said. “Just encouraging people who might fall through the cracks to pursue research and go for it and do what they want to do in undergrad, even if they may not feel like they have the resources or the capabilities to do it.”

— By Stephanie Scott 

— Feature photo by Raven Schley