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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2012 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply by April 1, 2013, for the 2013 Èxito! program.
Alyssa De Santiago
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
As a first-generation college student, Alyssa De Santiago experienced many challenges because she had little help navigating her way through her undergraduate education.
But with a father who said she could do anything and a grandmother who would help her talk through any problems as she rolled and made tortillas, she capitalized on a strong support system to become her family’s first college graduate when she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Whittier College in California.
With experience as a pharmacy tech, children’s tutor, and public health intern, she is motivated to address health inequities suffered by Latinos and is working to achieve a master’s degree at Claremont Graduate University in California.
Seeking additional avenues to reach her goals, De Santiago applied for and was accepted into Éxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training, which aims to increase research in Latino cancer disparities by encouraging master’s-level students and health professionals to pursue a doctoral degree and a cancer research career.
She learned from respected public health researchers and faculty that there are resources available and many different avenues that can lead to doctoral degree and a career in Latino cancer health disparities research.
“[Éxito!] helped me better understand what is involved with a PhD or DrPH program,” De Santiago said.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
