Diana Gutierrez

DIANA GUTIERREZ ’10 B.A. Psychology

restoring confidence, one patient at a time

by PAMELA DEAN

SANTA BARBARA-RESIDENT AND CSUCI possible, but if the Oxnard native’s parents had had their alumna Diana Gutierrez is enjoying a dynamic career way, Gutierrez would not have attended college at all. as a physician assistant at Aesthetic Center for Plastic “I am the daughter of Mexican immigrants and the first to Surgery. As a vital member of the center’s team she assists attend and graduate from college,” Gutierrez explained. “My with cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries, manages pre- parents come from a cultural background where higher eduand post-op patients and runs the practice’s injectable and cation was not a priority, so naturally they could not encourlaser clinic. age me to pursue something they didn’t fully understand.”

“Plastic surgery is the most diverse specialty in the med- Despite their lack of approval, Gutierrez persisted with ical field because you deal with problems from head to toe her goal of earning a college degree and had every confiand with patients ranging from newborns to older adults,” dence her parents would one day understand. Gutierrez explained. “I think there is a misconception about She chose to study Psychology to fulfill her initial desire of plastic surgery and what it means. Most of the time people becoming a community college counselor and helping other associate the word with celebrities and cartoon faces and bod- first generation students achieve their dreams and aspirations. ies. More often than not, you are restoring a She chose to attend CSUCI after taking a campus tour. smile in a child that was attacked by a dog, “My first impression was that the University was a hidden treating traumatic wounds, or helping a gem. It is a state-of-the-art facility situated on beautiful, woman regain her confidence after can- serene land,” she said. “The quality of education offered at cer has left her without breasts. I get the CSUCI really stood out when I compared it to other larger most joy in seeing people smile and universities. It quickly turned into my first choice.” feel confident again.” Gutierrez credits Psychology Professor Virgil Adams for Her bachelor’s degree in encouraging her to take her education to the next level. Psychology from CSUCI “He encouraged me to get a master’s or a Ph.D. The and her master’s degree from thought was absurd and seemed far-fetched at the time, yet MGH Institute of Health here I am.” Professions made her dream of working in healthcare > READ MORE AT GO.CSUCI.EDU/CHANNEL-DG