Thank you, President Callahan.

I am deeply honored to stand beside you today as we celebrate this historic moment for University of the Pacific and for our entire community. As a Pacific graduate, a proud Stocktonian, and someone whose life’s work has focused on improving the health and well-being of others, this day is incredibly meaningful to me. 

For 175 years, Pacific has done more than educate students. Pacific has transformed lives, strengthened communities, and developed leaders who serve with purpose and compassion. That legacy lives on through generations of alumni working in healthcare and service professions, improving lives every single day. 

But what makes Pacific truly special is not only what our graduates do…
It is who they become.

Pacific educates one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation. Our students reflect the communities they will one day serve. That means future patients will receive care from people who understand their language, their culture, their struggles, and their hopes. In a world where so many people feel unseen, that matters deeply. 

The School of Medicine is more than a new academic program.
It is an expansion of hope.

It sends a powerful message to students throughout the Central Valley that their dreams are valid, their voices matter, and their future belongs here too. Especially first-generation students, children of immigrants, and students who may have once believed that a career in medicine was out of reach. 

Because Pacific changes what students believe is possible.

I know that personally.

I am the youngest daughter of immigrant parents who sacrificed everything to create better opportunities for their children. While my parents never had the chance to attend college themselves, they taught us the value of education, hard work, and service to others. Through Pacific’s Community Involvement Program, I was given an opportunity that changed the trajectory of my life. 

Pacific gave me more than an education.
It gave me confidence.
It gave me purpose.
And it taught me that where you come from does not define how far you can go.

That experience inspired me to build a business that has now served elderly and disabled individuals and families in our community for more than 20 years. While I am not a physician, I have witnessed firsthand the power of compassion, healthcare, and human connection to transform lives. 

For many students, the desire to serve is deeply personal.
It comes from growing up in underserved communities.
It comes from watching loved ones struggle to access healthcare.
And it comes from wanting to return home—not to leave their communities behind, but to lift them up. 

That is why this School of Medicine matters so profoundly.

There are students sitting in classrooms across our region right now who dream of becoming physicians but wonder if there will ever be a place for them. Today, Pacific is telling them:

There is a place for you here.
Your story matters.
Your dreams matter.
And your future matters. 

For 175 years, Pacific has never been content with simply existing within its communities. Pacific sees people. Pacific sees needs. And then Pacific acts—with courage, compassion, and purpose. 

This School of Medicine is the next bold chapter in that legacy.

I am profoundly grateful that Pacific continues to believe in students from communities like Stockton, just as it once believed in me. And I look forward to the day when future physicians trained here go out into the world not only prepared to heal others—but prepared to change lives and strengthen communities for generations to come. 

Thank you.