Unsung hero provides heart of service at UNT Health
Before faculty, staff students arrive on campus, UNT Health Fort Worth’s Facilities team members already are working. Mechanical systems are checked. Classrooms are prepared. Spaces are cleaned and prepped for the day.
Behind the scenes, their quiet commitment ensures that the next generation of healthcare professionals can focus on learning. They are the unsung heroes of UNT Health Fort Worth.
Marcial Mazariego, a building engineer at UNT Health, is one of those unsung heroes. For Mazariego, that quiet commitment is far more than just a job. It’s part of a lifelong journey grounded in family, service and movement.
Born in El Salvador, Mazariego has had a front row seat to seeing the importance of education and hard work. His parents, both teachers — one an elementary teacher and the other a high school teacher — also instilled in him the importance of serving others, something he has carried with him his entire life.
“Growing up in El Salvador was great,” Mazariego said. “I had a very happy childhood. I loved playing sports and being outside. I have a large family, so we were always gathering for birthdays and holidays.”
Taking a chance
When an opportunity arose for his parents to move to New York City from El Salvador in pursuit of teaching jobs that would provide their family with a chance at a better life, they made the difficult — yet hopeful — decision to relocate. The transition opened the door to new experiences, cultures and perspectives for Mazariego and his family. Later, Texas would become their permanent home.
It was Mazariego’s parents who first found UNT Health. They both accepted jobs on the Facilities team and spoke so highly of the university and team that Mazariego jumped at the chance to join them.
“They spoke highly of the organization’s positive work environment, opportunities for growth and educational benefits,” Mazariego said. “Motivated by these opportunities, I decided to join the Facilities team in 2018 and have been proud to contribute to the team ever since.”
While he did take a two-year hiatus from UNT Health to go work as an area maintenance supervisor at Home Depot, he came back as soon as he could. Despite missing UNT Health while he was away, he is thankful for what he learned and that he was able to come back home.
Work family
At one point, his mother, father, aunt, sister and uncle worked with him at UNT Health, so the phrase “work family” is literal for Mazariego. Now, Mazariego works with his mother, Alva Hernandez; father, Jose Mazariego; aunt, Ana Hernandez. All members of the custodial team.
“Working with my family is so rewarding,” Mazariego said. “It allows us to connect frequently while sharing the same enthusiasm and commitment to our work here at UNT Health. Together, we uphold one of our core values, courageous integrity, by consistently striving to do our best for the organization.”
The future of medicine
It’s no secret that it takes a well-oiled machine to train the future of healthcare. No job is too small, and every person at UNT Health plays a critical role in making sure students are receiving a world-class education.
Thanks to Mazariego, his family and the entire Facilities team, UNT Health students are set up for success each day as they pursue their dreams.
“Working at UNT Health is a rewarding experience because I take pride in supporting the next generation of healthcare by ensuring that all mechanical equipment is properly maintained, the buildings are clean, and every room is ready for use,” Mazariego said.