From the streets in Honduras, Marlon travelled through and lived in many places, but Australia is home.
Marlon Onan Lopez Cabrera, an administrator in the Office of Assurance and Integrity, is always happy. His infectious positivity instantly captivates anyone who meets him.
“I put my shoes on this morning and thought to myself, ‘Wow I’ve got a pair of shoes’ – and I felt happy,” he said.
“Sometimes I’ll be cutting up a piece of steak for dinner and it makes me happy – I feel grateful. I didn’t have access to a lot of food when I was younger. From the age of five, I grew up on the streets in Honduras, which I later found out was one of the most dangerous places in the world outside a war zone.”
Marlon spent those years learning to fend for himself, bargaining for a bed, food and a shower, until he lost a friend. He said he realised then,“If I don’t leave, I could be next.”
A journey seeking education
Marlon attempted to emigrate from Honduras to the United States (US) multiple times. It took him more than two years.
“When I was living on the streets, people told me I could go to school for free in America. In Honduras I couldn't because I had no one to pay for me and I also needed a uniform. I couldn't afford those things,” he said.
There are two ways to cross the Mexican border into the US – through the river, which has more migration officers, or the desert which is dangerous because of dehydration. Marlon chose “the river, the safer option”, despite not knowing how to swim.
Marlon still owns the pants he wore while crossing the border, along with the blankets that kept him warm during years of travel. He wore those pants as he leapt off trains in search of food for himself and other migrants. He held the blankets in one arm and felt the speed of the wind with the other, assessing whether it was safe to jump back on. Marlon said the treasured items remind him what he’s capable of.
US Immigration held Marlon in a Texan Detention Facility for four months, extensively profiled him and eventually placed him with a foster family in Washington state. There, he was able to begin schooling, in grade eight.
“Education became the answer to all my problems. It became a safe zone. It became a refuge. It became comfort and hope. I saw education as the solution to every problem,” he says.
Now, Marlon holds a double degree from Washington State University in Criminal Justice and Spanish.
Finding ‘home’ in Australia
Marlon said he was proud to become a US citizen.
“But I didn't belong there. I went back to Honduras 11 years after leaving and realised I didn't belong there either,” he said.
Marlon considered a career in law, helping immigrants navigate the system, but felt that exploring would serve him better. He wanted to find a sense of belonging.
Marlon booked a one-way ticket from the US, first stop Barcelona.
Marlon’s journey took him around the world but one stop proved to be life-altering.
“I was surfing in Byron Bay after a storm, so there was nobody else out there. I remember being on my surfboard thinking a shark could swim by right now and it could kill me. In that moment, I felt peace – like I would die happy. That’s how I knew I was home because I felt like I'd done it all. I'd completed my journey.”
A colleague and friend had gifted Marlon a Dick Van Straaling shaped board, that’s why he learnt to surf.
Sharing happiness with community
At UNSW Marlon brings his gratefulness and positivity into the workplace.
On Tuesday fruit day, he rebrands the less popular fruit with light-hearted content so that everyone can feel grateful for their apples.
A fruit soccer match...and the winner is apples!
He also runs the coffee lottery – an initiative that pairs staff members who wouldn’t otherwise cross paths for a coffee date. Email him to be match-made.
Can you tell us something about you that might surprise your colleagues?
Probably my whole story! I also had to steal a horse to cross the Rio Naranjo in Guatemala, near the Mexico-Guatemala border. That horse is an important part of my journey.
What's memorable advice you received?
When I was very young and living with my grandma, she told me I should pay attention while she was handwashing our clothes because one day I’d have to wash my own children’s clothes. That gave me hope for my future.
What's one thing that makes you happy?
Everything. All of the experiences I’ve had – they’ve made me who I am today. I’m happy to have my freedom, that I’ve had an education and can speak two languages. What brings me true happiness is the fact that I can share it with a community.
What day in your life would you like to relive?
The day I became a US citizen.
What's the best thing you have seen or read in the last year?
The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. I love the message that the only power we really have is how we react.
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