Melissa Martinez

October 16, 2024

It’s not easy putting roots down in a family that has moved 17 times in 25 years. But Puerto Rican native Melissa Martinez is putting roots down in health-related research and has burgeoning experience in epidemiology and biostatistics, and wants to investigate ways to increase the community’s healthy habits so they avoid colon-related health problems. […]


Melawhy Garcia

October 16, 2024

Melawhy Garcia was just 17 when her mother was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and colon cancer—unfortunately giving her firsthand knowledge of the income, insurance and other barriers faced by Latino cancer patients. Since then, Garcia has put cancer in her crosshairs. Garcia already has helped conduct research and awareness on cervical cancers and other […]


Mayra Serrano

October 16, 2024

Mayra Serrano grew a strong sense of responsibility from her mother, who worked two jobs to raise her and her sibling. She displays that sense of responsibility for the people she helps as a community interventionist at the Center of Community Alliance for Research and Education (CCARE) at City of Hope in California. Serrano’s work […]


Mary V. Diaz Santana

October 16, 2024

Mary Vanellys Diaz Santana values the richness of culture and faith in her native Puerto Rico, but also understands how different cultural aspects can be barriers and enablers to public health. Santana’s strong passion for investigating the distribution, frequency and determinants of health led her to the University of Puerto Rico’s medical sciences campus, where […]


Maritza Pulido

October 16, 2024

Growing up in California, Maritza Pulido had a strong-willed father who would object to her being placed into English-as-a-second-language classes just because of her last name.   Now she is an advocate for those who are mislabeled due to their last name and race.   Pulido, who developed a compassion for Latinos through her studies […]


Marissa Jauregui

October 16, 2024

Mexico holds a special place in Marissa Jauregui’s heart. Jauregui has taught English to students in Yucatan as a Fulbright scholar, and she grew up traveling to visit her grandparents. Now she is keeping her roots in mind as a first-year student in the Community Oriented Public Health Practice program at the University of Washington, […]


Marisabel Roman Afanador

October 16, 2024

Pride for Puerto Rico runs deep in Marisabel Roman Afanador’s blood, from the traditional Bomba traditional musical style to the rich cultural heritage.   Still, the country historical has struggled with health issues and domestic violence.   That’s why Afanador, a San Juan native who learned from her grandmother’s resilience in the face of domestic […]


Marina Daldalian

October 16, 2024

Growing up, Marina Daldalian’s mother, the daughter of a migrant worker, and her father, a native of Lebanon, taught her the importance of education and about caring for those with few resources. As she volunteered locally and abroad for several years, a focus on health became Daldalian’s calling. In Kansas City, Kan., Daldalian is a […]


Marievelisse Soto-Salgado

October 16, 2024

Marievelisse Soto-Salgado grew up dedicated to solving public health problems in what she calls “La Isla del Encanto”—her hometown of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She got her passion for science and research through her time obtaining a bachelor’s degree in general sciences and a master’s degree in public health. She’s even been working for several […]


Mariana Ramirez

October 16, 2024

Mariana Ramirez’ has a strong passion for helping improve the lives of Latino immigrants and youth. Ramirez, who is originally from Mexico and fluent in English and Spanish, has worked to raise awareness of breast cancer among Latinos in Kansas City, Missouri. She also serves in a leadership position with the “Latinos of Tomorrow” youth […]