“Growing up in a Mexican-American family, I witnessed the hardships my grandparents faced as they adjusted to life in a new country, but I took their sacrifices for granted,” says Barragan, a 2015 Most Valuable Student scholar sponsored by Culver City, Calif., Lodge No. 1917. “It wasn’t until later that I came to understand the importance of my family’s story.”

Barragan saw that story in a new light when he volunteered with Global Medical Brigades, a club that organizes hygiene supply drives for rural areas throughout Central America. When Barragan attended a brigade in Nicaragua, he met a patient from a rural village. Because the patient spoke a unique dialect, the doctors and translators struggled to understand her.

“As I worked with the team to assist this patient, I recalled how my grandparents sometimes struggled to communicate their needs in America,” says Barragan. “This allowed me to incorporate compassion and empathy into my care and assistance.”

Since this experience, learning each patient’s unique story has been central to Barragan’s mission. He took this lesson with him after he graduated from the University of Notre Dame and worked as a teacher for five years.

“I took the time to genuinely get to know my students’ unique stories so that I could incorporate familiar examples into my teaching,” says Barragan. “By immersing myself in the community and being open to learning about my students as individuals, I was able to create a more inclusive environment. This experience taught me the value of recognizing and embracing differences within cultures.”

This period, though a non-traditional path to medical school, proved to be foundational to Barragan’s future.

“Taking time after my undergraduate degree gave me time to reflect on the values that are important to me,” says Barragan. “Through teaching, I have actively practiced charity, justice, and fidelity, which in turn has fostered a love for my community and others.”

Barragan won’t forget the ways the Elks have impacted him as he looks toward his future as a pediatrician.

“Being an Elks scholar has reminded me that these values are ones I want to continue using and living, especially in my career,” says Barragan. “As I prepare for medical school, I know that these values will continue to guide me.”

With the Weigel Medical School scholarship, Barragan will attend Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine to study pediatrics.