FAITH, FAMILY, AND THE FUTURE: The Vazquez Legacy at MVNU

When Juan Vazquez arrived in Los Angeles from Puerto Rico in 1976, he couldn’t have imagined that his journey — from banker to McDonald’s franchisee — would one day transform how students at Mount Vernon Nazarene University engage with the world. Yet that’s exactly what happened.

The Vazquez Family Collaboratory, part of the Fairbanks Center for Global Engagement, now stands as a living testament to how one family’s faith and generosity can create ripples that reach from Ohio to Guatemala and Mozambique.

A Journey of Faith First

The Vazquez family story picks up when Juan and Inez landed in Los Angeles, where Juan worked as a banker. Juan spoke almost no English. Their four-year-old daughter needed a bilingual teacher. Yet their priorities remained clear.

“The first thing I’m going to do is look for a church,” Juan told his wife.

When they moved to Dallas, they looked for a church. When they relocated to Florida, they looked for a church.

“In our life, church is first, home is second,” Juan explained. “The Lord will provide you with what you need if you put Him first.”

That principle guided them through an extraordinary journey. After three years of training, they purchased their first McDonald’s restaurant in Cedar Hill, Texas in 1986 — selling everything they had to make it happen. The business grew from one restaurant to 13 across Florida. Today, their son Rafael serves as president, overseeing 21 restaurants.

The legacy extends even further back. Juan’s father, Rev. Angel Vazquez, completed only third grade but authored two books and still prepares a sermon every day. His influence shaped how the family approaches giving — teaching them about tithing and generosity even in times of personal need.

From Vision to Reality

When Juan and Inez met with Dr. LeBron Fairbanks and MVNU leadership two years ago about the FCGE, the conversation sparked something bigger. What started as a contribution became the Vazquez Family Collaboratory — an endowment established in 2024 that multiplied their initial vision fivefold.

“I wanted my children to understand that part of their inheritance is going to this work,” Juan explained. “This is not a short-term commitment; it has to be a long-term commitment.”

A Different Kind of Classroom

The Collaboratory operates through project-based learning, bringing students, faculty, and community partners together to address real challenges. In Knox County, students partnered with health officials to study COVID-19’s impact. In Guatemala, they developed drone technology to help farmers improve food security. In Mozambique, they’re helping establish a tilapia fish farm that promotes economic empowerment and sustainability.

“The Collaboratory gives students opportunities to not just study the world, but to step into it — listening, serving, and learning alongside others,” explains Dr. Brenita Nicholas-Edwards, FCGE Director.

The work complements MVNU’s Intercultural Studies program, which prepares students for careers in missions, humanitarian aid, and global ministry through classroom study and international practicums.

A Living Testament

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 17, Juan’s voice broke with emotion recalling the morning chapel service. “The spirit of God was there, and I felt it. I couldn’t stop crying.”

“The Collaboratory gives students
opportunities to not just study the
world, but to step into it …”

Dr. Brenita Nicholas-Edwards, FCGE Director

Dr. Carson Castleman, MVNU’s president, captured the significance: “This will stand as a living testament to the Vazquez family — a family rooted in faith, united in service, and devoted to using every gift for the glory of God and the good of the world.”

The story of the Collaboratory is still being written. But with every project and partnership, students are discovering how education, service, and faith can transform lives — carrying forward a legacy that began generations ago in Puerto Rico and now reaches every corner of the world.