Jose Arrezola: An Èxito! Grad Who Wants to Prevent Disease among Latinos

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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.

Jose ArrezolaJose Arrezola
Fresno, Calif.

When they moved from Mexico, to Fresno, Calif., in 1997, Jose Arrezola’s parents couldn’t read or write, but they strongly encouraged him to become educated.

Arrazola joined a college assistant migrant program.

There he worked with a mentor who provided additional support, encouragement, and opportunity, and eventually he became his family’s first-ever college grad, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health from California State University, Fresno.

To seek new ways to expand his desire to prevent disease among Mexican Americans, Arrezola 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.

Arrezola said the program helped direct his ongoing career choices.

“Attending the [Éxito! Summer] Institute has given me the tools to pursue my future career in research, cancer, and academia,” he said. “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Éxito!

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.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

25.1

percent

of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage

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