Meet Mark Sevillano Jr.

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mark Sevillano Jr.. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mark, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

From a young age my parents always embedded in my mind the mentality that I can do anything with Christ on my side. I grew up with a scripture from the Bible found in the book of Philippians chapter 4 verse 13 which states. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That verse shaped my life. It is a personal belief that involves finding strength and the ability to overcome any situation through faith in Jesus Christ. I credit my parents for installing resilience in me by teaching me that Bible verse. But it took more than just knowing that verse to become resilient, I actually came to certain points in my life where I either believed that verse or not. It’s one thing to know something in your mind to be true but it is a whole other thing to practice it and live it out.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Remember 2020 when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a health emergency and we entered a global pandemic? Well that was the year that everyone’s life shifted, especially mine. I was working 2 jobs; during the week I was a substitute teacher, subbing for grades K-8 and on weekends I was officiating weddings.

I was in college obtaining my masters degree in Education, forced to teach online. My grandfather passed away (he was one of the most important figures in my life at the time) and my father in-law passed away that year too. All the while my marriage was coming to an end. My ex-wife and I separated in 2021 and later divorced. I became a single father to my two beautiful children. I was under very high amounts of stress and then in 2024 I found out that I had a cancerous tumor in the bottom of my throat. It was stage II esophageal cancer. Fun right?

I experienced challenge after challenge and truthfully as much as I thought that my life was over I held on tightly to hope. There were still things I wanted to accomplish in life, I wanted to see my kids graduate from high school, start their careers and get married.

Thankfully I had a successful 8 hour robotic surgery where they removed the strawberry sized tumor and 6 inches of my esophagus. And after 5 rounds of chemotherapy I am happy to say that there is no more cancer detected in my body.

Now, these days, I am focusing solely on officiating weddings, funerals, sweet sixteens, quinceaneras and dedications. I have a communications degree in public relations and I have been taking up speaking opportunities and featured as a guest on several podcast shows. I plan to write about my cancer journey some day and how no matter what types of obstacles we face in life, if we hold on to hope, believe that we can get through it and understand that our life has meaning then we can overcome anything that comes our way.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Adaptability, leading by example and resilience are the three skillsets that I developed and practiced the most over the past few years.

I adapted to the times we were living in and still are living in. I marketed myself and my wedding business on social media which allowed me to become visible to my clients and helped me build a network and following. I adapted to life as a single father. I adapted to becoming a cancer patient and everything that comes along with that horrible experience. Your ability to adapt to situations always begins with a choice. You can refuse to change or put on a new hat and allow yourself to step into unfamiliar territory.

Leading by example was what I had in my mind whenever I would think about my kids. I showed my kids that it is possible to grow from a divorce and become a better version of yourself. I showed them what forgiveness looks like. During my battle with cancer I showed them what faith looked like. Not only was I an example to my children but I was an example to my friends and family online too. I was very public about my cancer journey and wanted to spread hope and positivity to those watching me.

Lastly, I’ve become even more resilient than I have ever been in my life. I have been able to withstand and recover quickly from difficult conditions. I have been able to spring back into shape after being stretched in every way. There is a song called, “Elastic Heart” by Sia and there’s a line from that song that says, “You did not break me, I’m still fighting for peace, I’ve got thick skin and an elastic heart.” I really do feel like my heart is elastic now after everything I’ve gone though.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Over the past year the biggest thing I’ve learned is how to let go of the things I can’t control and to place my full trust in God. There is a song that we sing at my church, Hope Community in Pico Rivera, CA. called “Trust in God’ by Elevation Worship. The song reads, “I trust in God, my Savior, The one who will never fail, He will never fail…” and one day as I was singing it I thought to myself, do I REALLY trust in God or is this just a nice song to sing?

Thankfully I actually really do trust God these days. I trust him with my life, my kids, my finances, my health, my career, and my future.

One of the biggest benefits of placing your trust in God is the huge relief you feel after giving your situation to Him. I remember there was a time in my life where I only trusted myself. All of my trust was placed in me. I was the one in control. I was the one that needed to make things happen. But there is so much stress involved when carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. You get burnt-out very quickly.

And I don’t group together all of my problems either. Grouping all of your worries is overwhelming. Now I just take things one at a time. I focus on today and do my best to live in the present moment. When you think about your past too much you’ll end up depressed and when you think about your future too much you’ll end up anxious. So the best thing to do is just focus on today….what is happening right now, at this very moment? Breathe and step forward into the day, not into the year, not into the month, just take it one day at a time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linktr.ee/mrmark222
• Instagram: @MrMarktheOfficiant
• Facebook: Mark Sevillano Jr.
• Linkedin: Mark Sevillano Jr.
• Twitter: @MarkSevillanoJr
• Youtube: @Markizchozen

Image Credits

Photos by: @erickajimenezphotography & @jaay_artistt