To us, medicine is an art inspired by the people of this valley.
Just a few stories of inspiration from the community we're proud to call home.
Ballet Folklorico, or ‘folkloric dance’ in Spanish (baile folklorico), is a collective term for traditional dances, with highly choreographed ballet characteristics that emphasize local folk culture.
For Ivanny Rodas and Jessica Ponce, members of Fresno’s nonprofit Mestizos Del Valle Dance Co., the desire to carry on the tradition goes back to the elementary school. Ivanny says his inspiration comes from “the passion for what the dancing represents for our culture, for our roots, and bringing that culture into America. It gives everyone a feel for what Mexico is about.” The sharing of culture is an important aspect of their dancing, as Jessica will attest. “Life here is constantly growing and changing with diversity. That’s why my roots stay here in Fresno,” she said.
Reading Heart is a nonprofit organization dedicated to putting a book into the hands of every child. Ten years after its founding by Danay Ferguson, Reading Heart is distributing hundreds of thousands of books from multiple locations and events throughout the Fresno area.
As Danay says: “Reading is an important factor in every aspect of life. When you don’t know how to read fewer opportunities are given to you.” To Danay, Fresno is the perfect place to launch what is destined to be a nationwide movement. “What I like about the Central Valley is how we’re not all so divided as people like to think; we’re a really close-knit people who like to help each other.”
Bonney Shehadey is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. Her inspiration to stay in the family business comes from admiration for the older generations and a commitment to continue their legacy.
Bonnie is also drawn to helping solve the air quality and pollution issues faced by the Central Valley. “Dairy farmers are very resourceful, we do not waste anything,” Bonnie tells us. “Because sustainability is the key to preserving our livelihood, we now use a methane digester to convert manure into electricity, with almost zero emissions. It’s important because I grew up in the Central Valley and I want my future family to grow here and continue farming the land.”
Born in Vietnam, Thế “Leo” Nguyen, PhD, later became familiar with tremor-related issues of those exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War. His research on vibration control as Associate Professor and Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering at Fresno State, inspired him to come to the aid of those suffering from tremors.
“As engineers, we always try to come up with solutions. And improving the quality of life and regaining their daily activities for people proves that engineering works,” Nguyen explained. “Even though a lot of people call engineers nerds, I love being a nerd if I can help people.”
