Chris Travis

Chris Travis graduated from the FACES Oakland program and Oakland Technical High School in 2007. He recently graduated from Columbia University in New York in 2011, receiving a BA in English.

Chris shares, “When I was in high school, FACES gave me a taste of what it would be like to be a doctor. But more than that, it introduced me to passionate medical professionals who continue to inspire and mentor me to this day. FACES not only made me want to be a doctor - it introduced me to people who would help me one day make that dream a reality.

FACES allowed me to really see if being a doctor was what I wanted to do. When I first entered the program, I absolutely knew that I wanted to be a surgeon. But after all of my surgical rotations and my clerkship in surgery, my opinion changed. Though my respect for surgeons deepened, I learned that another specialty might be a better fit for me. Without FACES, I would not have had the opportunity to begin thinking seriously about specialization before I even entered college.
I plan to begin a Master's of Science program in Narrative Medicine at Columbia in the Fall and go to medical school two years after that. My current goal is to become a pediatrician focusing on primary care in underserved communities.

Everyone I met at FACES helped me to believe in myself and follow my dreams. But perhaps more importantly than that, Dr. Magaña and others have been there to talk with me about ways that I can grow. FACES is not just a cheerleading squad; it is a program committed to its students even when that means we need tough love.”

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