Jan. 30, 2023 | Sarah Fetters
From the moment Aswani K. Volety returned to UNC Wilmington and became its seventh chancellor, he has stressed the importance of a Seahawk student experience like no other, one that provides opportunities to engage in learning and results in a career that is fulfilling.
Heberth ’04 and Javier ’05 Guevara, MD agree and want to do whatever they can to engage with, connect with and propel current Seahawks.
Why?
Their Seahawk experiences.
“UNCW is a foundation pillar to who I am and what I have right now,” Javier said.
Heberth added, “UNCW had an international mindset and an openness towards it, which makes me who I am right now.”
Two decades after arriving minutes from the Atlantic Ocean as international students from Puebla, Mexico, the two are forever impacted by their time at UNCW.
Javier Guevara ’05
Today, Heberth is a director of transfer pricing and tax coordination in the Netherlands for Banijay, the world's largest international content producer and distributor for television and multimedia platforms, while Javier is a family physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
All thanks to UNCW, and a family nudge.
Before becoming a Seahawk ever entered either Heberth’s or Javier’s mind, their father, who did a post-doctoral study in England, believed in the benefits of foreign travel and experiencing other cultures.
“I always voiced an interest in going into medicine, so he encouraged that I look abroad,” Javier said. “I thought my future should be in the United States. UNCW was a smaller, more manageable school with a student-to-professor ratio that was a great asset for me. Being by the ocean definitely helped, too.”
Javier enrolled at UNCW, becoming the first in his family to pursue his full college education in the United States. Once in Wilmington he talked during a winter break to Heberth, who was studying in Mexico at the time, and encouraged him to apply. The rest is history.
“I fell in love with the university,” Heberth said. “I realized what I was looking for, and couldn’t find in Mexico, was the international setting. It was not difficult for me to say I wanted to go to UNCW. Having my brother there and seeing his track, he was an inspiration.”
Inspiration came from many as support and encouragement were plentiful for the Guevara brothers, who made lifelong friends and mentors within the Seahawk family.
“My best friends I met at UNCW,” Javier said. “Miranda Boykin ’98, ’05M was an international student adviser who helped me tremendously. She was like a sister, guiding me through every step. I did so many extracurricular activities, and (longtime vice chancellor) Pat Leonard was always so encouraging. She never forgot your face or story.”
Javier also credits his Biology 101 professor, Dr. Linda Potts, for setting the stage for his acceptance into medical school at Northwestern University through her encouragement and mentorship. To this day, he still uses her advice for studying and gaining understanding of concepts by verbalizing.
The local Wilmington community was just as impactful and encouraging.
“There was an openness to different cultures, perspectives and perceptions,” Heberth said.
“If it wouldn’t have been for UNCW, I would have stayed in Mexico and had a happy life, but now I have a happy international life. I have developed myself in so many ways – personally and professionally – because of not just the academics at UNCW, but the people around it,” Heberth added.
Heberth Guevara ’04
If the people make the place, the Guevara brothers picked quite well.
“I always felt welcome,” Heberth said. “I always felt empowered. We were equals working together on something.”
The two now want to give back to current Seahawks by providing the encouragement and mentorship they received while on campus. While the two believe a scholarship endowment may be in their future, they know mentoring is an immediate option.
“I have always said if there’s a Javier Guevara out there who is going through the same struggles I went through and I can help someone, that makes everything worth it for me,” Javier said. “I know representation is essential. Having someone who looks more like yourself and has been able to do it, tell you it can be done and share what has been learned, I will be so glad to do it.”
Heberth added, “The greatest intangible anyone could carry is wisdom and experience. If we can share it with someone and, years down the road, find that person and realize we have made a positive contribution to their lives, that’s what we should do.”
Memories, and advice, from UNCW have enriched the Guevara brothers immensely. Remaining humble and paying it forward will always be in their hearts, thanks to their Seahawk experience.