Emanuel Xocua Dimayuga is a first-generation student from the diverse community of Garden Grove, California. Enduring challenges throughout his childhood, he strives to succeed personally and academically, and translate his life lessons into improving his community.

Emanuel is particularly passionate about bridging ethnic health inequalities. As a freshman, he joined his school’s Red Cross club hoping to contribute to the organization’s humanitarian mission. Later, as club president, he organized blood drives for local medical centers, nonprofits, and community organizations. Emanuel also focuses on fundraising with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Through his Internship in the Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (Mi4) at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Emanuel identified how financial constraints prevent some populations from accessing personalized treatments. He proposed an AI-driven solution that would help more communities access nanomedicine. His work was presented at AIMed, an international conference for medicine.

From these experiences, Emanuel founded MedHealth, a school-wide organization that leads health awareness campaigns, addressing misconceptions about healthcare and reducing stigmas in underserved communities. Through Medhealth, he has partnered with a local nonprofit nursing home to introduce students to the medical realm, mobilizing his community to make change. He says about his efforts, “I know how challenging seeking care can be, especially when your own family stigmatizes it. Ensuring these misunderstandings are addressed will help people access the care they deserve.”

Even though Emanuel continues to face challenges growing up in an immigrant community, he uses them to fuel his passion challenging inequities. Emanuel doesn’t just want to make an impact; he wants it to last.