Lani Alcaraz: An Èxito! Grad Overcoming Hurdles to Higher Education



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Lani Alcaraz Houston, Texas Lani Alcaraz watched her father overcome many hardships and poverty in Mexico to become a doctor. Encouraged by his success, Alcaraz developed her own sense of perseverance and ambition and earned a bachelor’s degree in microbiology (with a minor in chemistry) and her certificate in public health from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in January 2010. Alcaraz is currently pursuing her master’s in public health in epidemiology with a concentration in maternal and child health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Her research ...

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Sanae El Ibrahimi: An Èxito! Grad Promoting Health for All, Regardless of Culture



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Sanae El Ibrahimi Las Vegas, Nevada Growing up in Morocco and traveling abroad gave Sanae El Ibrahimi a passion for learning about other cultures. El Ibrahimi also is passionate in her belief that everyone has the right to health and well-being so that they can achieve their purpose in life, no matter what their culture. In keeping with this belief, she obtained her undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s degree in international economics from Mohammed V University (Rabat, Morocco). She is currently pursuing a master’s of public health at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her ...

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Latino Health in Focus: Cooking Up Latino Dishes to Fight Cancer



Find the latest advances in Latino health—like a new cookbook with cancer-fighting recipes—in IHPR Noticias, the newsletter from the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the team behind SaludToday. IHPR Noticias has these stories and more: Cookbook: Local Latinas’ Tasty Recipes Get Cancer-Fighting Makeover (Pg 1) Profile: Inspired by Her Youth to Give Back...The Story of the IHPR's Rose A. Trevino (Pg 2) New Guide: How to Increase Latino Accrual to Cancer Clinical Trials (Pg 3) New Website: How to Grow a Healthy Change for Latino Kids (Pg 4) Study: Study: Promotores de Salud Help Diabetic Latinos Improve Health (Pg 6) Story: Latinos, Why is Organ and Sample Donation Important? (Pg ...

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Wendy Ramirez: An Èxito! Grad Serving as a Role Model for LGBT Youth



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Wendy Ramirez South Gate, Calif. Wendy Ramirez uses her outgoing personality to put her own stamp on improving public health. She already has a grant for a research project, she has presented data at several professional conferences, and she hopes to offer support and a role model to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Ramirez, who has a bachelor’s degree in health education and is currently working on her master’s in public health degree at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), is a graduate research fellow with the NCLR/CSULB Center for Latino Community. Ramirez decided to ...

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Bilingual Parent Toolkit Can Track Students’ Academic Benchmarks from Pre-K to 12th Grade



Have you heard of NBC News’ Parent Toolkit? The Parent Toolkit, available in English and Spanish, is a website and mobile app that helps parents navigate their children’s academic development and personal growth. The resource includes: A “growth chart” with grade-by-grade academic benchmarks for Pre-K through 12th grade in math and English language arts; Tips and resources for parents to support their children’s learning for Pre-K through 12th grade; and A guide to parent-teacher conferences and school counselor meetings. The goals of this toolkit, which is sponsored by Pearson, are to give parents a clear understanding of what is expected of their children at each step in their academic journey, and to provide a comprehensive set of tips and tools to help ...

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Margarita Chavez: An Èxito! Grad Using Karate Experience for Public Health



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Margarita Chavez Albuquerque, N.M. With a mother and father who are both martial artists who actually first met at a tournament, it isn’t surprising that Margarita Chavez is an accomplished martial artist herself and has trained more than 400 adults and children at her family’s martial arts studio in Albuquerque, N.M. But earning a 6th-degree black belt in karate and becoming a skilled teacher takes years of intense training and dedication—something that Chavez is now applying to the arena of public health. She has spent time as a patient navigator and earned a bachelor’s degree in health education and a ...

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Aleli Ayala-Marin: An Èxito! Grad Working to Study Health Disparities



Editor's Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2013 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by March 7, 2014, for the 2014 Èxito! program. Alelí Ayala-Marín San Juan, Puerto Rico Alelí M. Ayala-Marín, a licensed dietitian/nutritionist, is proud of her Puerto Rican roots. Ayala-Marín said her culture and heritage have made her attentive to the studying cancer health disparities in her home country, where she has earned an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics and a master’s in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Puerto Rico (Medical Science Campus). She is currently coordinating a pilot study, “Cultivando La Salud,” an evidence-based educational intervention designed to increase screening ...

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Infographic: Few Latinas in State and National Elected Offices



Latinos are expected to comprise 30% of the U.S. population b y 2050. That's 15% who will be Latinas. But Latinas have a much smaller hold on elected state and national political offices, according to a new infographic from Latinas Represent, Latina Lista reports: Out of 79 women holding seats in the House of Representatives (total: 435), only 9 are Latina. No Latina has ever held a Senate seat. Out of 1,789 women state legislators (total: 7,383 state legislators), only 78 are Latina. Of the 75 women holding statewide executive positions (total: 320 executives), only 5 are Latina. There is only one Latina governor. Latinas Represent, a partnership between the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda and Political Parity, aims to increase the number of Latinas in elected ...

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Landmark Study: Hispanics Live Longer, But Face More Blood Pressure, Diabetes, Obesity



Hispanics live longer than other population groups, even though they face higher rates of blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, according to the largest-ever study of Latino health. The federal study, called the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), is a multi-city epidemiological study collected information on the health issues, risk factors, and lifestyle habits that impact this population. The study has followed more than 16,000 Hispanic adults from Chicago, San Diego, Miami and the Bronx since 2008. Some of its initial national results include: 80% of Hispanic men and 71% of women had at least one adverse risk factor for heart disease (i.e., high cholesterol/blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or smoking). The percentage with obesity was high among ...

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