Earning doctorate degrees in veterinary medicine and veterinary pathology are significant accomplishments, but they are underscored by the seemingly insurmountable challenges Dr. Alejandro Larios Mora has faced in his journey to date.
Alejandro wasn’t the student anyone pegged to be a doctor. In fact, he failed kindergarten – and by fifth grade the self-proclaimed troublemaker was only allowed to attend class with a parent escort.
“作为一个孩子，如果你住在一个糟糕的地区，很难看到周围的环境。你认为这和它一样好，“亚历德罗说。“这就是为什么有导师很重要 - 向你展示一些不同的东西，更好。”
Alejandro将下一年描述为向下螺旋。当他试图获得驾驶执照和一份工作时，他在高中，他实现学校不是他唯一的问题。
Alejandro出生于墨西哥瓜达拉哈拉，当他是一个幼儿时，他的家人与他的家人一起搬到夏威夷。然后他的家人搬到了加利福尼亚州南部，一个叫家的地方。但亚历杭德罗是一个无证的移民。
“That was tough,” he said. “I was undocumented. I couldn’t get a driver’s license. I couldn’t work.”
Unleashing a Dream and Discovering a Village
Alejandro managed to graduate high school. With his newly-realized challenges as aDREAMer, a term that today indicates one of nearly two million immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children, community college was his only option.
In college, Alejandro felt like the world was stacked against him. It took him four years of community college to get to a high school level. And classes were expensive without eligibility for federal or state financial aid. He was giving up on his dream to continue his education.
That’s when Alejandro’s village started to form. From a college counselor who was a refugee from Vietnam, to a woman from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), to a bus driver who every day reminded him to never give up, his supporters grew and played critical roles in his journey to multiple graduations.
After getting up to speed at Fullerton Community College, Alejandro was accepted to California Polytechnic State University where he majored in animal science and biotechnology. He found a passion with veterinary medicine and pathology and decided to attend Iowa State University to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).
尽管有这些成就，但他的斗争尚未结束。在兽医学校支付的第一年借助他的父亲的帮助下，他们设法获得一次性贷款，亚历杭德罗发现自己没有钱的学费或生活费。
The future looked bleak. But then, the local community stepped up. From professors to a church to anonymous donors and even a dean, people stood behind Alejandro and offered places to live, meals to eat and opportunities to continue pursuing his education – something this scholar had come to believe was the key to his future.
A New Chapter and a Career in Pathology
Alejandro的父亲为他的孩子申请了他的孩子，获得永久居留权，而Alejandro是一个未成年人，但在审查申请之前21岁的Alejandro年龄在21岁之前。这意味着Alejandro必须重新开始并提交新的应用程序。在他的大学教育中，Alejandro一直在等待审查该申请。
With the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was created in 2012, there was a possible end in sight for Alejandro, who had graduated from his veterinary medicine program and been funded for a PhD/pathology residency program at Iowa State.
In 2017, now as Dr. Alejandro Larios Mora, he received permanent residency, which had become a 22-year journey.
While working on his PhD, Alejandro worked in a lab that used a model to test several therapeutics against respiratory syncytial virus, which causes a lower respiratory tract infection and is the leading cause of hospital stays for newborns, causing up to 200,000 deaths per year worldwide in developed countries.
“From taking care of the animals to collecting tissues, reading slides, and communicating with the client, I saw how much work it is to run these studies. This experience piqued my interest in getting a job in the drug development industry and helping to get new treatments to market.”
He joined Covance earlier this year and has already set a goal for the next achievement for his career.
“I am not done with my education,” Alejandro said. “As an anatomical pathologist, I would like to work toward becoming a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT). Several pathologists here at Covance have that certification, and becoming a toxicologist will help advance my career in the field of toxicologic pathology.”
将表作为导师和榜样转动
Realizing the importance that role models, mentors and supporters have played in his journey, Alejandro seeks out opportunities to mentor others and give back.
He believes even the smallest interactions can make a significant impact in someone’s life.
“我最近在这里遇到了一个对兽医学校感兴趣的员工。我给了她关于申请的建议，在我们谈到兽医中的机会之后，我提出让她与我网络中的人联系。我也有兴趣帮助不足的孩子。我想和所有年龄段的孩子一起谈谈，以及他们的家人，让他们了解高等教育的重要性。“
Alejandro says the support network within Covance is something he looks for in an employer.
“One thing that makes me a proud Covance employee is that everybody is accepted here. I’m also happy that people have the opportunity to grow within the company. I met a study director that started her Covance career working with animals and worked her way up to the position she has now.
“There are also so many ways to get involved, from networking through the employee resource groups to being part of the central community. When I joined, I was invited to a happy hour the Connect Committee set up for new employees. I think it’s the little things and the purpose we all share in our roles that brings people together.”
Alejandro’s relentless journey inspires us. We can’t wait to see his next steps and are proud to be by his side as he discovers his #CovancePotential.
