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 experience and pursuit of more knowledge of Latino health disparities led her to apply 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.
After attending the 5-day Éxito! Summer Institute, Alcaraz felt she was equipped with the resources and professional networks to successfully apply to a doctoral program.