FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — For Deacon Scott-Vincent Borba, each day now begins with prayer, a routine he says reflects the life God had planned for him long ago.<\/p>\n
In the coming days, Borba will be ordained as a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Fresno, marking a profound shift from his previous career as a co-founder of e.l.f. Cosmetics.<\/p>\n
Before entering ministry, Borba built what he described as a successful, multi-million-dollar career in the business world. But he said the demands of that life eventually left him feeling unfulfilled.<\/p>\n
“You have to manage everything to stay on top. That means you have to build and build and build,” Borba said. “So you get lost in all of that… you lack joy because of the hustle and the bustle.”<\/p>\n
Borba said a turning point came when he sold his favorite car and donated the proceeds, an experience that reshaped his sense of purpose.<\/p>\n
“At that time, for 89 cents or whatever it was, it says you can feed someone in need three meals a day and sustain them going forward. And I thought if I give this much then this is how many children I can be feeding!” he said.<\/p>\n
His journey has since brought him back to California’s Central Valley, where he once attended Redwood High School in Visalia and College of the Sequoias.<\/p>\n
Borba said his decision to serve in the region was influenced in part by a trip to Mexico, where he connected with migrant communities and families.<\/p>\n
“A lot of them are coming directly into the valley to work to help with all the fields and the breadbasket that we supply to the world, and my heart went to them and I knew I wanted to be with my brethren to support them as they support us,” he said.<\/p>\n
As his ordination approaches, Borba said he does not view his path as abandoning his former life but as following a direction he believes was always intended.<\/p>\n
“He inspired the concepts, he inspired the success, he directed it – and even though I allowed it to be my downfall, he was going to use it for the salvation of souls,” he said.<\/p>\n
While Borba said he does not miss much about his previous lifestyle, he acknowledged that some memories occasionally resurface.<\/p>\n
“I am driving a KIA Rio for quite a long time, and it was used when I got it and the breaks sound like they are going to fall out…and in those times I remember the good times and those cushy, leather seats…(haha) it was great,” he said. “But I am so happy knowing I am not attached to that anymore.”<\/p>\n
Borba said his focus now remains on serving others as he prepares to take the next step in his religious vocation.<\/p>\n
Borba will learn on Saturday, May 23, which Valley parish he will be assigned to when he is scheduled to be ordained at Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Visalia.<\/p>\n
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