December/January, 2014
insider’s rule of thumb not to return to work in your hometown, where everyone knows each other and the potential for true respect and financial success is more difficult. “I had no reason to be afraid and ashamed of servicing my hometown. So many people I grew up with and their families ended up becoming my patients. I would look to service underserved communities, including Segundo Barrio (South El Paso). “ Dr. Candelaria was asked to be the first director of the now preeminent Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, Inc. He didn’t take the offer because he felt that R.E. Thomason General Hospital, at that time, was providing the
services
necessary,
only
later
to
understand and revere the direction that La Fe took in its expansion. Dr. Homero Galicia, intervention, I’m not advocating that, only
and wash petri dishes and lab equipment
a Hispanic Entrepreneur professor at UTEP
stating a general thought that holds truth
for extra money. At times he would have to
and a Stanford grad, makes much reference
in many cases. The Canderlaria children’s
hitch-hike home from school,” says David.
to Dr. Candelaria as one of the pioneers of
mother, Emmo Candelaria, who was an RN,
the medical service industry in the El Paso/
supported Dr. Candelaria through medical
Dr. Candelaria recalls, “The thing that
school and encouraged him to not be content
inspired me the most was a doctor named
with having becoming an entomologist, but
Roger Delgado from Ysleta. He became
Layer three begins. This story almost sounds
leverage that momentum and further his
my personal friend and mentor. This doctor
like the story of a local kind of Che Gueverra
studies to become the doctor he’d always
was originally from Cuba before Castro, and
character pre-war times, only there’s a shift
wanted to be. As with any med student
I learned from his service-oriented way of
towards the polar opposite. Dr. Candelaria
raising a young family life was challenging.
working for the community.”
decided to venture into the business realm
The family struggled through medical school
Juarez’s evolvement in the past 50 years.
of Spanish Language communications.
working late hours at clinics and pharmacies,
The story permeates. After finishing medical
whatever it took to get him through school
school, Dr. Candelaria found it peculiar,
“I had nothing against the English language.
and make ends meat. “My Dad told me that
almost annoying, that he was advised by
I love both languages. My focus was only to
he would stay late after lab class at NMSU
peers to never return to the nest. It was an
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