Meet Francisco Torres Archenti

Get to know BYU-Pathway Worldwide's financial services officer

BY: Rebecca Workman

Francisco Torres Archenti, the BYU-Pathway Worldwide financial services officer, grew up in Lima, Peru, with his parents and two brothers. Though some people might joke about middle children as the “forgotten” child, Francisco reassures us that he was “actually the spoiled child.”

Francisco with his parents and the missionaries at their family store

Francisco’s family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he was 16 years old. His father met the missionaries when they stopped at the grocery store he owned to buy a bar of soap. “That’s how it started — a bar of soap,” Francisco said. Not long after, Francisco served a mission of his own in Lima, Peru.

Francisco loves his home in Peru — the culture, the food, and the people. “Peruvian food has a lot of variety, and it’s very good. You have things like ceviche and lomo saltado. You should try it!”

After his mission, Francisco decided to take an 18-month professional internship at Disney World in Florida. While there, he met a beautiful girl named Stephanie. His original plan was to return to Peru and finish school there but, after meeting Stephanie, those plans changed. He decided to follow her to BYU-Idaho, where he dated and married Stephanie and received his degree in accounting.

Francisco, Stephanie, and their four children

Francisco and Stephanie have been married for 11 years and have four beautiful children: Francesca (10), Gabriella (7), Samuel (5), and Bianca (3). They currently live in Provo, Utah. They love hiking and being together as a family.

Francisco started working for BYU-Pathway Worldwide one year ago as the financial services officer. He’s grateful to work for the organization.

“I like the people a lot,” said Francisco. “I like the ethics of the group. They’re not only hard-working, but they try to do their best and they’re honest. They’re even virtuous; some of them go more and farther to not only help, but to do it right.”

While working at BYU-Pathway, Francisco has learned that “numbers have a person behind them.” He said, “We try to charge as low as we can. There are people who pass through really hard situations, and without [BYU-Pathway], they would not have the opportunity to educate themselves and to get better jobs.”

Left: Francisco’s family’s baptism; Right: Francisco with missionary David Whitworth and his brother, Jorge

For Francisco, working for BYU-Pathway is more than just a job. He strives to do his best every day, and that requires preparation. “I have noticed that I need to prepare spiritually to do this job. It  is a completely different feeling. I feel better and do better when I’m in sync with that. For example, when I get on the train to work, I read one of the Ensign talks.” Francisco has always been active in the Church but says that his preparation for work keeps him in line and improves his scripture study and prayer.

Francisco encouraged BYU-Pathway students to finish: “If I did it, anybody can do it. I came from a third-world country, and I finished school here. BYU-Pathway is a better break than I had.”

The employees at BYU-Pathway are cheering you on! You can do this!

How have you seen Heavenly Father guide your path to BYU-Pathway? Share in the comments below!

Francisco at graduation