Luis Godoy was on a troubled life track while dabbling in gang life as a teenager. Today he stands proudly in a crisp, white doctor’s coat as chief resident of cardiothoracic surgery at UC Davis Health.

Godoy is the son of migrant farmworkers and became a father himself as a teenager. He rose above trying circumstances through a natural curiosity with fixing and finding solutions — first as a car mechanic, then as an X-ray technician before earning his medical degree at UC Davis.

Through mentorship from Dr. Francis Souza, assistant dean of admissions and student development in the School of Medicine, Godoy was empowered to rise above his past struggles and focus on fixing the most important of human organs.

“No matter what difficulties we undergo, there’s a strength you can gain and not let those things hold you back. My goal is to not only care for patients, but to inspire and help students as well.”