Kaylee Rivera
With constant support from her Puerto Rican, police-officer father, Kaylee Rivera had the determination and ambition to succeed in her educational and career goals.
Rivera, who earned a bachelor’s degree in health science from California State University, Long Beach, and is pursuing a master’s degree in public health, has work experience in nutrition, obesity prevention, and behavioral health. She also is a graduate mentor Fellow for the H2OLA program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
After giving her first scientific presentation—“The effects of language acculturation and time in U.S on selected nutrition recommendations”—at the Annual Health Disparities Conference, Rivera wanted to explore a doctoral degree and a career in research.
So Rivera applied to 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 said the Éxito! Summer Institute gave her encouragement, and she drew inspiration and from her fellow participants and the guest speakers.
“[Éxito!] has motivated me and shown me that it is possible to complete a PhD,” she said. “It has also helped me reduce self-doubt.”