Congressman Ruiz Encourages Non Sibi Actions

For many students who attend the world’s best schools and aspire for prosperity in their careers, that success is measured in money or fame. For Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz, however, prosperity is measured by the extent to which he has served others in his community. In a powerful Assembly speech on Tuesday that brought students and teachers to their feet, Ruiz spoke to Exonians about his political career and how he has bridged it with his mission to return and aid his home community of Coachella, CA.Ruiz succeeded in a high school with a dropout rate of 50 percent and graduated from UCLA magna cum laude; he paid for college partly through investments from local businesses once he promised them that he would return to the community as a physician. He then attended graduate school at Harvard and became the first Latino to attain three graduate degrees from Harvard–a Medical Doctorate, a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Public Health.Ruiz always kept in mind his mission to improve the lives of those in his native community. In 2007, he returned to Coachella Valley to work as a physician at a nonprofit hospital in 2007 and established the Future Physicians Leaders program.His dedication to community service comes from what Ruiz paints as an inherent obligation for those with success to help others. “No matter where you come from or where you plan to go, you do not need to wait for your turn to serve,” Ruiz said. “Each and every one of us has a responsibility to one another and to serve, in some way, the greater good of our community and country. Look at the world around you, look at the realities of suffering and look at the possibilities for healing.”Ruiz saw the necessity of political change as the only sustainable and overarching solution to help the medically underserved communities in America. It was this urge to find a cure that brought Ruiz into the political arena in 2012.“I treated thousands of patients in the ER, but I knew early on that to truly be an advocate for health and wellness, that I had to look beyond the emergency room to the social determinants of health: the environment in our impoverished communities, jobs that pay a living wage, and the opportunities for advancement through education,” Ruiz said.Though the odds were stacked against him, Ruiz ran against against fourteen-year House of Representatives incumbent Mary Bono Mack. He won the 2012 election and became representative for California’s 36th congressional district.During Assembly on Friday, Ruiz encouraged students to also adopt a sense of community-oriented dedication. He challenged students to use their education to better the world. “You are receiving one of the best educations America has to offer. You have the tools to be successful in this world, and with those tools come responsibility,” he said.Students received Ruiz’s speech well, and found his message and accomplishments empowering.Senior Rohan Pavuluri, who also attended a dinner with Ruiz on Monday, found him inspiring. “The main message that resonated with me was that a man's success is not determined by the stories of his house or the car he drives, but rather the impact he has made on those around him. Many people can make this assertion but very few actually live by it. Congressman Ruiz is one of those people. He's a living testament to the greatness of our country.”Students described Ruiz as a role model, and his story was able to encompass a wide variety of interests. “Even though he was a congressman, and I’m not that great at understanding politics, I really loved listening to his point of view on giving back to the community because it’s something that I want to achieve in my life,” upper Kimberly Dawes said.“His story was just so compelling,” upper Nathan Bray said. “I thought to myself here’s someone who I could aspire to be like, someone who overcame so many more obstacles than I have in my life, so if he could do it then I could do it.