Grew up in: Stockton, CA Inspiration: Older brother who died at 29 Area of intrest: Working with the SNMA to help remove obstacles for other African-Americans to go to college

Christopher Jones

Born and raised in Stockton, Chris was the first among his brothers and cousins to go to college. His older brother was one of his strongest supporters and his inspiration.

"I remember him sitting at the kitchen table doing algebra when I was a kid. I would ask what he was doing, and he explained it to me in such a way that I could easily grasp the concepts. He showed me that studying was actually cool, and he pushed me to see my own abilities."

"My brother really believed I could become a doctor, and he told me how much he was looking forward to the day when he could call me Dr. Jones instead of Brother Chris. He won't be there physically when this happens. But he will be there with me."

Chris' brother died of heart complications when he was only 29. It was poignant for Chris when, a couple of months after he started his studies at the UCSF School of Medicine, his class was studying the physiological details of exactly the condition that led to his brother's death.

Having made it to medical school himself, Chris is determined to help remove obstacles for other African-Americans to go to college. "The big issue is not that kids like those who live in my old neighborhood don't want an education. It’s that they don't know how to achieve it. They don't have the examples around them."

Working with the Student National Medical Association, Chris appreciates the impact of African-American faculty mentors such as Renee Navarro and Carol Miller. "Seeing the faces of others who have been through it helps to see the light at the end of the tunnel."