Dr. Raul Ruiz, a Coachella Valley native who grew up poor and went on to become a Harvard-trained physician, gives the keynote address to participants in MSJC’s annual summer Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program for underprivileged students. (Steve Fetbrandt/SWRNN)
Nearly 70 Hispanic students were encouraged Wednesday to unlock their potential and give something back to the community during the keynote address for this year’s Summer Bridge Program at Mt. San Jacinto College.
The four-day event, which exposes underprivileged students to careers in science, technology, math and engineering, was held this year on the college’s Menifee Valley Campus.
In addition to participating in various hands-on experiments, students also get to take field trips to places such as the Entomology Museum and Botanical Gardens at UCR.
The program is supported through a $1.9-million grant aimed at increasing participation, graduation and transfer rates of Hispanic and or low-income students in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Appearing as keynote speaker Wednesday was Dr. Raul Ruiz, M.D., who grew up in the Coachella Valley and earned college degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Thought to be the first Hispanic to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard, Ruiz currently works as an emergency physician at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage and focuses on developing policy to improve public health and healthcare access for vulnerable populations in the Coachella Valley.
Ruiz stressed three themes Wednesday — excellence, service and potential.
“When I talk about excellence I mean excellence through personal responsibility,” he said. “Excellence depends on you. Excellence is going beyond expectations.”
Student participant Skye Ocegueda, 21, of Temecula, said afterward that she found the speech very motivating.
“It was important that he said we should see obstacles not so much as obstacles, but more like challenges, and to be really motivated — to take it upon ourselves to have responsibility and to serve our community,” she said.
Murrieta resident Jonathan Padilla, 21, said he got involved in Summer Bridge Program through one of its mentors.
Padilla characterized Ruiz’ speech as inspiring and filled with positive life lessons.
“What I took away (from the speech) is that we have a social responsibility to the community…and how we should give back to it,” he said.
Mt. San Jacinto College serves students from Banning to Temecula and from Idyllwild to Lake Elsinore with campuses in San Jacinto and Menifee.
Reach Steve Fetbrandt at sfetbrandt@gmail.com or 951-764-8449.
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I find it sad that poor hispanics get representation, but poor european americans, like myself, get nothing. We poor people should equally get something. This program reaching out with emphasis on poor hispanics is unfair to all other poor ethnic groups. I bet if this was an organization to help underprivilaged white people get involved in math and science, it would be considered racist. How sickening.
The STEM program at RCC-MVC is for all students. I don’t know anything about MSJCs program but I am sure it is for more than just Hispanics. Look into the program.
i was there during the speech it was amazing. and for the info it was not just aimed at hispanics there was a message aimed for every one. Dr. ruiz is an incredible man full of passion and desire. for the comment that said it was sickening..what is really sickening is the hatred people have for the services minorities receive and the true racism that lies behind the excuse that people do not think it is fair to share many services with others. STEM is mainly for hispanics but there are also many other minorities involved. so SEAN WOJCIK you are the sad person here. everyone please think about your comments before posting them because comments like sean’s sounded very insulting and sickening.
This program is aimed for Hispanics, yes because we are one of the few miniorities that are very misrepresented in the fields of Science and Mathematics. The comment that this is racist is so demeaning to many of us Hispanics that are educated and trying to give back to our community and trying to motivate students to excel in all they chose to do, further their education. I also am a statistic in which I had a set of twins at 15 and was destined to be on welfare for the rest of my life. But Guess what I am not. I have been an educator for the last 8 years I have a bachelors degree, teaching credential, and masters degree. I am no longer a statistic, and hope that many young people that are in the position I was in a 20 years ago will see me as a role model. I am proud to say that my children are now in college, daughter at UC Davis studying Molecular Biology and son at College of the Desert Criminal Justice.
I know Dr. Raul Ruiz he graduated from the high school that I did like 5 years before and he is trying to give back to the community he grew up, he is a moitivational speaker that is trying to show minorities not just Hispanics that no matter what obstacle there is in your life there is no excuse for the decisions you make. You can achieve anything that you want as long as the desire and motivation is there in you.
My main point was that I am part of the group of people, whom are considered the majority. I had many problems akin to the smaller groups. ALL poor people are in this together. I am just tired of being casted out of systems that help the poor becuause I am part of the majority, even though my family is no richer than a small group family. My comment is not racist. I only want representation.