Denisse Rojas Marquez
Growing up as an undocumented immigrant in Fremont, California, had a profound impact on Denisse Rojas Marquez and shaped her belief that access to higher education and quality health care should be available to all. In 2012, she gained relief from deportation through President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and in 2015 gained acceptance to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her achievements earned her the prestigious Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans award.
Now, Ms. Marquez can add another accomplishment to her impressive resume. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of young achievers, which appeared in the magazine’s January 24, 2017, issue. Her work in cofounding Pre-Health Dreamers (PHD), a growing network of more than 800 undocumented students from 42 states who are interested in pursuing careers in science and health care, was cited by Forbes in its inclusion of Ms. Marquez. PHD provides resources and advocates for progressive institutional and governmental policies. Ms. Marquez’s inspiration for PHD is based on her experiences as a student who had to navigate her own educational and career aspirations with limited resources.
“Denisse embodies all of the best values and highest aspirations of a true physician-advocate,” says David Muller, MD, Dean for Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Marietta and Charles C. Morchand Chair for Medical Education. “I have great respect for the work she has done and the lives she’s changed as a result of her accomplishments.”