Alicia Nunez: An Èxito! Grad’s Whose Bicultural Heritage Helps Her Boost Latino Health

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Editor’s Note: This is the story of a graduate of the 2014 Èxito! Latino Cancer Research Leadership Training program. Apply now for the 2015 Èxito! program.

Alicia Nunez
San Diego, Calif.

Born in Chula Vista, Calif., and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Alicia Nunez experienced a unique bicultural, mestizo heritage.

Nunez wants to use this cultural experience to help improve Latino health.

With an attitude of “Si, se puede” (“Yes, you can”), Nunez earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in public health from San Diego State University.

She’s gone on to conduct field work and research to examine sociocultural factors relating to Latino health. Her goals are to work with disadvantaged populations to promote healthy lifestyles and well-being.

To expand her academic horizons, Nunez applied for 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.

Armed with new skills and motivation for applying to a doctorate, Nunez now hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in psychology and health disparities.

“The Éxito! Summer Institute has played a significant role in terms of providing me with instrumental support to apply to doctoral-level education,” she said.

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 in June 2015, 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 several internships. Apply here.