With a long-felt desire to study science and encouragement from her family, it was not a shock when Christina Olson earned a neuroscience degree in college.
However, her interest in public health came as a surprise.
When a close supervisor and mentor encouraged her to “sit at that table” and pursue public health, she did just that, moving to Washington, D.C., to work in international and border health policy and finishing a master’s degree in public health from San Diego State University.
To expand her passion for public health and to consider pursuing a doctoral degree, Olson 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.
Olson called the guidance and mentoring from Éxito! staff and faculty “amazing.”
“[Éxito!] has made me see that there are so many possibilities with a doctoral degree,” she said. “I think I will pursue higher education.”