Patricio Ruano

Patricio Ruano is a firstgeneration college graduate who double majored in Biology and Global Studies.

Patricio volunteered for nearly two years in the Leaders in Education Awareness [LEAP] and volunteered with the annual Science Carnival. Through a collaboration between LEAP and Dr. Phillip Hampton, he was able to help create the “LEAPing into Science” program. This program offers a unique opportunity for K-8 students to visit CSUCI and learn about higher education with a special emphasis on STEM within the college world. He recalled, “I remember there was a little girl from LEAP that thanked me by giving me a squishy turtle toy. I overheard her telling the chaperone, ‘I wanna be like Patricio one day,’ as she was walking away.” Patricio keeps that turtle on the dashboard of his car, it gives him motivation. “It’s crazy to think that I played a part in her journey. It makes me want to be the version of Patricio that she saw in me.”

Amongst his off-campus service work, Patricio’s near two-year involvement with the

COPE Health Scholars program is very meaningful to him. “It’s common to find Spanish-speaking patients that find it difficult to communicate and connect with a provider,” Patricio explains, “Sometimes just having another Spanish speaker in the room can positively impact that patient’s demeanor and communication”. Even though he does not have training in medical translating, he says, “The fact that I earn the patients’ trust and can make them feel better taken care of by speaking to them and reassuring them is awesome.”

Patricio graduated in May 2021 and will attend medical school at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine (MSU CHM) in the Fall. He was accepted into MSU CHM’s Leadership in Medicine for the Underserved Specialized Education and Training Program. Within MSU CHM and the LMU program, he will not only gain the education to become a physician but will do so with service at the forefront.