21 Under 21 Series: Leslie Acosta Padilla
Major: Double major in Neuroscience and Biology with a minor in Latinx Studies
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Leslie Acosta Padilla is a Morehead Cain Scholar who aspires to complete an MD/PhD program to become a physician who also specializes in neuroscience and healthcare disparity research. She’s held many medically related internships, such as her internships at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, in Costa Rica, and in San Jose, Texas. Leslie has published two literature reviews with a research team, within the Gillings School of Global Public Health, that studied water settings in homeless shelters and orphanages during her first year at Carolina. An interesting fact about Leslie is that she was only 2 lbs when she was born!
Who is a woman of color who inspires you and why?
A woman of color who inspires me is the person I'm fortunate enough of calling my mother. Being a first-generation Immigrant from Honduras, she had to quickly learn how to navigate an unknown place and language. Things became more complicated when she was forced to raise five children as a single parent after my father was deported in 2006. Being left with nothing, as my dad had been the sole provider, she had to start from scratch and once again learn how to navigate new barriers. She is the type of person that gives everything and everyone 110% of herself. One thing I definitely inherited from her is that she constantly put everyone else before herself making her the most selfless individual I know. For instance, she hated crying in front of us because she knew how much it hurt us. Little did she know that I would sit outside her bedroom door at night and hear her cry as I prayed that God kept giving her the strength to keep going. From having to work 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week, she still managed to make sure we had a roof over our heads and food on the table at all times. No matter how tired she was, she made sure that we were well taken care of as well as keeping up with our responsibilities from school. I hope to one day be at least half of the woman she is.
What does your work on campus and beyond mean to you? Why is it worthwhile or rewarding for you?
The work on campus and beyond that I do encompasses everything that I am passionate about. Whether that be geeking over neuroscience research, partaking in social justice projects for underserved and underrepresented communities, developing professionally, or building Hermandad with my sorority; I have been able to find my niche and my people. These areas give me a space where my voice is heard in both an academic and social stance. It is all worthwhile for me because I have found my home away from home. Being involved in specific organizations keeps me closer to my culture and defines what I value in my experience. I not only try to give back to the community with the work that I do, but I also find myself growing from it every single day. Carolina has humbled me in a way I never expected to experience. It taught me how to advocate for myself and how to also advocate for others by first learning how to listen with the intent to understand. At the end of the day, it is rewarding to see how I am able to cultivate and channel my passions through a life-long learning approach.
What is your proudest accomplishment at Carolina?
My proudest accomplishment at Carolina would be having published two literature reviews with a research team, within the Gillings School of Global Public Health, that studied water settings in homeless shelters and orphanages during my first year at Carolina.
