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He remembers his family worrying about getting sick, avoiding uninsured hospital visits and struggling to overcome language barriers — issues that sharpened his interest in the medical field. By high school, Martinez Estrada knew he wanted to become a doctor. 

Martinez Estrada was still in the process of securing his green card when applying for colleges. Unable to receive federal aid, he spent months applying for various merit scholarships, leaning on his hospital volunteering experience and impressive academic resume. His French teacher, David Williams, helped guide him through the application process that led him to �ʼһ���. 

“He saw a light within me and believed in me through all the rejections, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” Martinez Estrada said. “He was a pillar that kept me moving forward, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

A recipient of the Bonner Scholarship, the John O. Reynolds III Scholarship and the Dr. Lee M. Seagle Memorial Scholarship, he arrived at �ʼһ��� ready to make an impact through service. 

The summer after his first year, he interned with the Center for Civic Engagement and developed a research project collecting data about the barriers to health literacy in Hispanic communities. This semester, he’s continued this research in partnership with Camino Research Institute in Charlotte. 

“This project has made me hungry to learn more,” he said. “It’s given me an opportunity to communicate with people and show them the importance of issues like medication access. Meanwhile, I get to connect back to my roots and help others become stable in the United States.”

Outside his busy schedule of pre-med courses, Martinez Estrada also works part-time at the Community Free Health Clinic of Cabarrus County, where he helps patients find available resources, navigate insurance and communicate their needs. 

“Medicine is a service career — it’s so important for clinics to know how to reach people,” he said. “It’s especially tough for undocumented people to find care for children and for chronic illnesses. Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.”

Martinez Estrada received his green card shortly before coming to �ʼһ���, but he’s still trying to find his place in the international student community. While his experience looks much different from that of his peers, he hopes to spend time getting to know others who understand the challenges he faced growing up undocumented in the U.S..

Despite his packed academic schedule, securing citizenship means he can now afford to slow down and prioritize taking care of himself. 

“I’ve been testing my limits since high school,” he said. “Sometimes, I forget there’s a Mario behind all of that. I dedicate a lot of time to volunteering and giving back to my community, but I’d also like to travel, connect with new people and try new things at �ʼһ���.”