Denis Fernando Vega

PROFILE: No one has ever handed Denis Vega anything for free, including his degree from Riverside Community College. He earned it, working several jobs as a house keeper and landscaper, sometimes 50 or more hours a week while keeping up with a full schedule of classes. Denis is proud to say he earned a GPA of over 3.7. Denis also was not handed the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, he earned that too. What the Foundation and many others saw in Denis was a desire to succeed and to make a difference in the world. They saw a man who will not quit until the job is done or the school assignment completed and an inquisitive man who was not afraid to ask why, but patient enough to stay with it until he understood the answer. They also saw a dedicated hospital volunteer who gave countless hours helping patients. Denis, who came to the US as a child from his native Mexico, hopes to someday be a doctor. The next step in that journey is taking place right now as Denis is embarking on his undergraduate degree in California.

INSPIRATION: Denis gets all the motivation he needs from his mother who also works long hours to help support her son’s ambitions. 

ASPIRATION: After Denis earns a degree in neuroscience, he hopes to attend medical school.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Denis is a dedicated unpaid assistant at Riverside Community Hospital located near his community college. “I am proud that I am able to help so many patients each week,” said Denis, who is part of a volunteer health unit. “There is always a patient that needs my help and thanks me as if I have saved their life. These are the moments I find rewarding and that make me feel as if I have accomplished something heroic.”

ACCOLADES: Denis received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence, the California Department of Education Honors Certificate at his high school graduation, and the California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition.

INTERESTING FACT: Although he lives less than an hour away from Disneyland, Denis has never been there.