College
of Health and human services
Outstanding
graduate - Rocio’ Leo’n
By
Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
She
was the first member of her family to attend
college, and has engaged in research and
educational activities on HIV/AIDS in the
Latino community across the United States
and Puerto Rico. Now she is also is graduating
and has been named the College of Health
and Human Services outstanding graduate
of the year.
This amazing graduate is Rocio’ Leo’n, majoring
in health science and helping to give back
to her community, while earning a 4.0 GPA.
Leo’n has also co-authored articles for
the World AIDS conference proceedings in
Barcelona, Spain, and for the Journal of
Behavioral Sciences in Puerto Rico.
Services like this to the Latino community
and the hope of ending HIV/AIDS caused Leo’n
to be endorsed by Cal State Long Beach’s
Latino Healthcare Professionals Project.
Leo’n was chosen to be among 15 other students
for this project after submitting an essay
and going through interviews in both English
and Spanish.
This project, in turn, earned her the position
of assistant project coordinator for the
Latino Families HIV/AIDS Prevention Project,
which is funded via the National Council
of La Raza.
“She is just a driven person,” said Margarita
Sanchez-Padilla, coordinator for the Latino
Health Care Project. “She is just so well
rounded with her employment, volunteering
and academics.”
After working with Leo’n on the Latino Health
Care Project, she saw that Leo’n was a leader
in all of her groups and that she always
took an active role.
Sanchez-Padilla added that “it has been
a pleasure to work with her as a student
and just to see her grow.”
Leo’n said she feels Latinos have a stigma
about HIV/AIDS, in that they believe it
only happens to others. Due to this, she
said, “I am going to school to take care
of people that have disorders … because
it is easy for me to represent them.”
Not only is Leo’n going to school for her
fellow Latinos, but for her family.
“I wanted to be an example to the rest of
the family,” she said. “So I always tried
to do the best I could.”
After Leo’n has made the initial step for
her family, her brother has joined the military
and her other brother and sister are attending
college.
Leo’n has big plans for after graduation.
“My immediate plans after graduation are
to apply to graduate school and get my master’s
in public health. My career goals include
working to make a difference in Latino health
status.”
She also is considering the pursuit of a
doctorate in Latino health.
Leo’n also has big aspirations for Latinos
to succeed.
“Daily, I see the need for educated, multicultural
and bilingual Latina women to be doctors,
nurses, therapists and health education
specialists she said. There isn’t greater
satisfaction than the smile I get from a
Latino man, woman or child who looks up
to me for help.”
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