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Meet Our Hispanic Heritage Month Ambassadors

Hispanic Heritage Month lets us focus on the diverse experiences of Hispanic communities. It gives us the perfect opportunity to highlight the specific ways we can help Hispanic people take charge of their eye health.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, we reached out to NEI staff and National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Planning Group members that identify as Hispanic and asked them to share the unique knowledge that they have about starting in their field and what excites them about their career.

Explore their testimonials below — and share them with your networks using our social media posts and graphics. Remember to tag us on Facebook (@NationalEyeInstitute) and Twitter (@NatEyeInstitute).

To download a single graphic, right-click the graphic to save it to your computer. You can also copy a graphic directly into a social media post.

Patricia Becerra, Ph.D.

Healthy Vision Month graphic with a headshot of Dr. Patricia Becerra.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been curious about how things work. It’s what got me motivated to get involved in biochemistry — the chemistry of life. I wanted answers to questions like: How do our bodies develop? How do they function? How do they stay healthy, and what makes them sick?

Finding answers to scientific questions excites me. If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to follow your passion with perseverance, diligence, and discipline.

Facebook/LinkedIn

We’re recognizing @NationalEyeInstitute’s Hispanic/Latino researchers for #HispanicHeritageMonth! Today we’re introducing our NEI ambassador Dr. Patricia Becerra. She explains how she got involved in her career and what sparked her interest in biochemistry.

Visit NEI’s ambassador webpage for more stories! https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #HHM #EyeHealthEducation

Twitter

We’re recognizing #HispanicHeritageMonth by sharing stories from @NatEyeInstitute's ambassadors in the research field! Dr. Patricia Becerra explains how she got involved in her career and what sparked her interest in biochemistry. Retweet and share your story! Read more stories: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Rafael Villasmil, M.Sc., S.C.Y.M.

Healthy Vision Month graphic with a headshot of Dr. Rafael Villasmil.

In middle school, I learned about Marshall Nirenberg's work on how the genetic code operates. As a kid, I fondly remember sitting with a timer waiting for a solution to turn colors and helping my mother prepare science lessons for the community college classes she taught. My father was an industrial pharmacist, and I loved walking through the factory and learning about medicines.

Throughout my career, I kept challenging myself to learn new skills but my greatest achievement is to see the work we do in the laboratory become a tool for healing. I’m very proud of NEI’s current research on patient-derived stem cell therapy to replace and repair dying cells in the retina.

Facebook/LinkedIn

@NationalEyeInstitute researcher and #HispanicHeritageMonth ambassador Dr. Rafael Villasmil talks about his first job in a lab and how his current work inspires him! How did you get involved in your career and what sparked your interest?

Visit NEI’s ambassador webpage for more stories! https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Twitter

Meet Dr. Rafael Villasmil, one of @NatEyeInstitute's scientists and a #HispanicHeritageMonth ambassador! He talks about his first job in a lab and how his work inspires him. To hear more stories, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Michael Maldonado, O.D., M.B.A.

Healthy Vision Month graphic with a headshot of Dr. Michael Maldonado.

Being a good doctor means you can treat a patient — but being an excellent doctor means you fully embrace what the patient is saying and find the best treatment based on all aspects of their physical, emotional, and financial situation. What you can do for each patient could impact their quality of life and positively change things for them. Embrace patient encounters and always put yourself in their shoes.

The road to success might be long, but there’s a wonderful world waiting at the end of the tunnel. Once you get your degree, the next step is to keep learning and gaining knowledge through experiences, networking, and different cultures. Expand on your heritage and surroundings so that when you achieve your career goal, you can become an ambassador for the community that you represent.   

Facebook/LinkedIn

Dr. Michael Maldonado is one of @NationalEyeInstitute's #HispanicHeritageMonth ambassadors, and he has some important advice for future Hispanic/Latino optometrists! Do you have any advice to share?

Visit NEI’s ambassador webpage for more stories! https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Twitter

#HispanicHeritageMonth ambassador Dr. Michael Maldonado has some advice for aspiring optometrists in the Hispanic/Latino community. For more stories, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM @NatEyeInstitute

Zelia M. Correa, M.D., Ph.D.

Healthy Vision Month graphic with a headshot of Dr. Zelia Correa.

I became interested in ophthalmology after seeing a corneal transplant during medical school — seeing the happiness the patient experienced at such a remarkable result. Today, I'm most excited about the opportunity to train the next generation of eye doctors and mentor underrepresented minorities and women in medicine and research.

My advice is to be prepared to work hard and dedicate yourself to achieving your dreams. Find good mentors that will help you on your professional journey and try to meet as many people as possible in your field of interest. Listen to people's experience but make your own decisions.

Facebook/LinkedIn

What excites you the most about your career? @NationalEyeInstitute’s #HispanicHeritageMonth ambassador Dr. Zelia M. Correa is proud of the work her team has done so far, and is looking forward to training the next generation of eye doctors.

Visit NEI’s ambassador webpage for more stories! https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Twitter

What excites you the most about your career? @NatEyeInstitute's #HispanicHeritageMonth ambassador Dr. Zelia M. Correa shares with us what she’s looking forward to. RT to share! For more ambassador stories, visit https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/outreach-campaigns-and-resources/eye-health-among-hispanicslatinos/hispanic-heritage-month/meet-our-hispanic-heritage-month-ambassadors #EyeHealthEducation #HHM

Last updated: September 16, 2022