Cristina Toledo-Cornell
“If someone were to ask me if medical school is too high of a dream for me, I shall think back upon how things began with that barefoot little girl trudging up the road in a small village near the Amazon jungle, and respond - I know I can do it.”
- Program: 2008 Graduate Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: New York, NY
- Hometown: Goiania, Brazil
- Age: 28
- Community College: Henry Ford Community College
- Four-year College or University: Wayne State University
- Graduate School: Cornell University
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Medicine
- Other Interests: Languages, Literature, Religion, Sciences, Volunteer Work
Biography
PROFILE: Cristina Toledo-Cornell grew up in a small, impoverished village near the Amazon forest. When she was 14, her family was driven out of their farm by a government-built hydroelectric dam and migrated to a large city. To help pay expenses, Cristina worked during the day while attending school at night. She worked as a maid for a local doctor who helped her understand that “poverty is not a limiting factor in one’s quest for excellence.”
With the dream of going to college, Cristina and her husband left Brazil for the US, where she enrolled at Henry Ford Community College. “Though my initial struggles with English plus the need to adapt to a strange culture made college a rather trying experience, surmounting these obstacles helped greatly in developing my self confidence.” Cristina won a Presidential Scholarship and transferred to Wayne State University. She conducted research in an evolution laboratory and, in 2007, presented her findings at the Wayne State Undergraduate Research Conference.
INSPIRATION: From age 14 to 20, Cristina worked for Dr. Daniel Palmieri Costa, a medical doctor in her native Brazil. “He inspired me to pursue my dreams and explore my potential.”
ASPIRATION: Cristina plans to become a physician specializing in infectious diseases and public health. She hopes to practice medicine in urban areas that have large impoverished and immigrant communities.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Cristina was president of the Wayne State Baha’i Club and taught at the Detroit Baha’i Center. She volunteered with the Karmanos Cancer Institute as a patient advocate aid.
ACCOLADES: Cristina is a recipient of the Henry Ford II Honors Scholarship and was named an Outstanding Biology Student at her community college. At Wayne State University, she received the Presidential Scholarship, the Dean of Chemistry Honors, and the Nicolette Therese Keller Endowed Scholarship.
INTERESTING FACT: Cristina has five sisters and three brothers.
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