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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.
Christina Carmona
San Antonio, Texas
Born and raised in San Antonio, Christina Carmona has seen how Latinos here often don’t get access to the care they need, or they face cultural myths, financial barriers or a lack of knowledge of disease prevention.
Carmona used this experience to fuel her drive to improve Latino health.
Wanting to make a positive change in her community and serve as a role model for her children, Carmona earneda bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas San Antonio and is currently pursuing a master’s in public health degree at The University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health in San Antonio.
Carmona wanted to do more, so she decided to apply to the Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program, which offers a five-day summer institute and internships to encourage master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career. She wanted to hear from other minority researchers on the career possibilities in Latino health disparities research and see if a doctoral degree was truly right for her.
She said Éxito! was a tremendous help.
“After attending Éxito! I now feel I have a better grasp on the hurdles I will have to overcome to successfully complete a doctorate program. I definitely was naive before, but the Éxito! staff made sure I left with the knowledge, tools, and resources required to apply and complete my education,” Carmona said. “Being part of Éxito! has helped me realize that I can be successful in a doctorate program no matter my skill set, as long as I have the dedication to finish what I have started and I utilize the resources around me.”
Éxito!, a program funded by the National Cancer Institute and directed by the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, will select 20 master’s-level students and health professionals from across the nation to attend a five-day summer institute June 2-6, 2014, in San Antonio, offering research information, tools, tips, role models and motivation to encourage participants to pursue a doctoral degree and a career studying how cancer affects Latinos differently. Participants also are eligible to apply for one of five $3,250 internships. Apply here.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
