Vidal Arroyo, a first-generation student from Orange County, has been named Chapman University\u2019s first Rhodes Scholar, earning one of the most prestigious fellowships in the world.<\/p>\n
As late as his junior year of high school, Arroyo wasn\u2019t considering higher education. But high school friends were busy taking SATs, so he did, too. He aced them, and in May will become the first in his family to graduate from college. <\/p>\n
During his first year at Chapman, Arroyo enrolled in a molecular biology class, where his focus and determination caught the attention of Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology. She suggested he should consider research, and Arroyo began learning about her work on pancreatic cancer. <\/p>\n
But Arroyo was also intrigued by the work of Jake Liang, Ph.D., a School of Communication professor who researched humanrobot interactions, so he joined that lab team. Then heartbreak struck: Liang was diagnosed with cancer and died at age 37. Arroyo then felt called to the only path that now made sense \u2013 cancer research. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents have always raised me with the idea of duende, which in Spanish means passion or soul. It\u2019s the idea of pursuing something because you\u2019re passionate about it,\u201d he says. \u201cBefore Professor Liang\u2019s diagnosis, I didn\u2019t really have that connection with cancer. Seeing him die of that disease so young was just really shocking to me. It felt almost like a social responsibility. I decided I\u2019d use whatever talents I have to change this for others.\u201d <\/p>\n
In October, that journey will continue at Oxford University, where Arroyo will complete graduate work and study the applications of data science to improve colorectal cancer treatments. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe professors believed in me more than I did, and that\u2019s been incredible,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s really a testament to the amazing environment here and the ability for someone to see potential in someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Generation Student is Chapman's First Rhodes Scholar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":1477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"custom_author_name":"","chapman_pin_hero_slider":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[118,9],"tags":[249,250,248,251],"class_list":["post-1475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neighbor-to-neighbor","category-students","tag-first-generation","tag-rhodes-scholar","tag-student-research","tag-vidal-arroyo"],"yoast_head":"\n