Growing up in the village of Juchipila in central Mexico, Jesus Luna knew exactly what he would do some day.
“When I was 3 or 4 years old, I told my mom I would be a scientist,” Luna said. “I told her I would discover something to cure disease.”
With several aunts and uncles succumbing to heart disease, Luna knew where he wanted to focus his studies. Today, he is pushing the boundaries of tissue engineering as a graduate student at UC Merced.
Luna’s parents came to California’s Central Valley, where they picked grapes and tended vineyards. Jesus stayed in Mexico, where he excelled in school. As his parents sacrificed, Luna advanced, eventually earning admission to the University of Guadalajara.
“It was really hard for them to support me in college,” he said. “They were sending about half of their salary so I could go to school in Mexico.”
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