First-Generation College Student Becoming a Helping Force in His Community
“I want to be one of them.”
In his formative years, Marcos Terrazas visited with Dr. William Hayes and other health professionals at the Choctaw Nation Rubin White Health Clinic in Poteau, Oklahoma. His mother, who works at the clinic, took him there often to talk with the doctors and see the work they do.
“I want to be one of them and serve the people that they do, back in Poteau and Wister where I’m from,” Marcos says.
His interest in the medical field started in Mexico, where his father took the family down to visit relatives every summer. Marcos’ uncle is a surgeon, and his aunt, a nurse. His uncle had worked his way through college and medical school, then became a general surgeon. He now works in a small-town hospital in Mexico.
“My uncle’s drive to do that makes me intensely desire to follow him in the medical field,” Marcos says.
Marcos did an honors tour at the University of Oklahoma (OU), where he is attending for his bachelor’s in biology. He made the Dean’s Honor Roll in the first semester of his freshman year and is now in his second semester. His “Kiamichi Commissioned Officers Association Education for the Future” Scholarship is assisting with tuition and residential expenses.
“I am a first-generation college student for my immediate family, and I’m hoping to make a difference for the future of my family,” Marcos says. “The scholarship has helped me stay on the path to hopefully getting a degree and applying to medical school. The donors and their assistance has allowed me to get this far. It’s been amazing, and I’m grateful.”
He continues receiving input from those who have influenced his life, including Dr. Hayes. The doctor has Marcos interested in potentially working in the ER. The fast pace appeals to Marcos, yet he is open to all options.
“The reason I want to be a doctor, a neurosurgeon eventually, is to help my community and anyone else I possibly can,” Marcos says. “Being a helpful force to the people around me is a passion of mine, and becoming a doctor is, without a doubt, the way I want to do it.”
Credit: Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
