Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the journeys of alumni on the path to making a profound difference in the world.
As part of a series of profiles, CSUN Newsroom spoke with Alexis Aleman ’19 (Biology), a medical school student on his way to becoming a doctor. The alum reflected on his time at CSUN and how it set him on the path to becoming a healthcare leader.
After graduating from CSUN, Aleman continued his education at UCLA, where he’s training to become a physician “with a community-serving mindset,” he said. He also works as a mentor and serves on a community-based healthcare committee that serves people from communities like South Los Angeles, where he grew up. In addition to medicine, Aleman is building a digital community through the popular social media platform Foos in Medicine, which he co-founded with fellow medical student Irvin Garcia Real.
He initially thought college might not be in his future, but that all changed after he applied, Aleman said.
“Getting accepted to CSUN was a dream come true for me. I knew that getting accepted … would open up many opportunities,” he said. At CSUN, he quickly discovered opportunities to connect to a larger community.
“There were other Latinos like myself, who grew up very similarly, and that made me feel more comfortable as I was taking on the challenge of being the first in my family to go to college,” he recalled. “At CSUN, the Latino community was so strong. It made me realize how important [it] is to support one another when we are facing challenges and adversity.”
He also credited CSUN for inspiring him to learn more about his culture, by enrolling in Chicana/o studies courses. “Some of the best times at CSUN were in my classes with friends and the great professors Dr. [Carlos] Guerrero and Dr. [Antonio] Gallo,” Aleman said.
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