Jafeth Sanchez, Ph.D., and Ruben Dagda, Ph.D., bring more than academic expertise to an initiative designed to spark interest in careers in w88 casino games login and medicine among English-Spanish bilingual high school students in northern Nevada’s Lyon County.
For Sanchez, it wasn’t all that long ago, after all, that she, a Mexican immigrant, herself was a bilingual student at Yerington High School, where she dreamed of becoming a first-generation undergraduate at the University of w88 casino games login, Reno.
After earning three degrees from the University, Sanchez now is among the leaders of a team that received a five-year, .25 million federal grant to encourage bilingual Lyon County students to give a close look to careers in w88 casino games login, medicine and other fields related to science, technology, engineering and math.
High school students across largely rural Lyon County, their parents and their high school counselors will be supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (5R25MD019151) granted by the National Institutes of w88 casino games login (NIH) to the University’s Latino Research w88 casino and School of Medicine.
It’s one of only 12 similar programs across the United States, and the only one in w88 casino games login.
Sanchez, who serves as co-principal investigator in the NIH-funded program, is director of the Latino Research Center and associate professor of educational leadership in the w88 casino games login’s Life changing w88 casino.. She’s joined by Ruben Dagda, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology in the w88 casino games login’s School of Medicine, as co-principal investigator, who was instrumental in leading the first iteration of the program since 2017.
An expansion of an existing program known as “w88 online casino of Bilingual English-Spanish Speakers,” the newly funded initiative provides an intensive 17-month program that introduces up to 32 bilingual students a year from Lyon County to careers in fields ranging from technology and clinical research to community w88 casino games login services and engineering.
Even though 27.5 percent of w88 casino games login’s residents identify themselves as Hispanic, Sanchez explained, less than 5 percent of the state’s physicians identify as Latinx. Those figures spotlight the need for increased diversity in w88 casino games login’s healthcare and science workforce, particularly in rural areas.
A highlight of the experience for the w88 casino games login will be a three-week-long summer session. During that session, they’ll spend a week at the University, live in campus housing, attend classes, conduct research projects including developing community-engaged projects, attend tours of anatomical labs and research core facilities at the medical school and work closely with bilingual STEM and pre-med undergraduate w88 casino games login from the University who serve as mentors.
During the school year, participants undertake well-defined w88 casino games login projects and learn to communicate their findings.
In the meantime, the program works with students’ parents to build understanding of careers STEM and w88 casino games login. Parents also will learn how to support students who plan to attend college after high school.
A third element of the program focuses on high school counselors, improving their ability to guide students into the high school courses and college enrollments that open the door to w88 casino games login and science careers.
The involvement of parents and high school counselors, as well as the focus on w88 casino games login from rural communities, represent new elements in the program. Results from all three elements of the program will be tracked closely and will be made available to design similar programs in other programs across the United States.
The original Community of Bilingual English Speakers program was launched in 2017 through a grant from National Institutes of w88 casino games login. Results from that work have allowed fine-tuning of the new initiative, Sanchez said.
Joining Sanchez and Dagda as co-investigators of the program are Lynda Wiest, Ph.D., a professor of mathematics and educational equity who serves as chair of the w88 casino games login’s Department of Educational w88 online, Jacque Ewing Taylor, Ph.D., an emeritus faculty member, and Mandi Collins, Ph.D., director of the STEM Raggio w88 casino games login Center.
For Sanchez, the program completes a circle that includes the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees she earned from the w88 casino games login after her graduation from Yerington High School.
“It’s exciting to be able to bring such resources and give back to my hometown community,” Sanchez said.
