Brianda Alcazar, a California native who attended kindergarten in Sonora, Mexico, grew up with an immigrant-life experience of dual cultures, languages, and traditions.
Alcazar is using this experience to identify with and help Latino immigrants.
With a passion for social work that capitalizes on her strong motivation and empathy for other people, Alcazar earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from California State University, Long Beach. Her area of concentration is Latino youth and mental health.
To find more ways to embody her favorite Gandhi quote (“You must be the change you wish to see in the world”), Alcazar 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.
She relished her time in the program.
“[Éxito!] has definitely motivated me and instilled self-confidence in me,” Alcazar said. “More importantly, Éxito! has empowered me that despite my minority status, I can attain a PhD.”