BEING HERE.

>>> UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PROFESSOR SAYS HE HIT A FEW BUMPS ON HIS PATH TO A CAREER IN SCIENCE AND ACADEMIA.

BUT HE SAYS MENTORSHIP WAS THE CATALYST FOR HIS SUCCESS AND HE IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING MORE LATINOS IN THE LABORATORY.

WE HAVE THAT STORY.

>> THE WORK WE DO, I AM INTERESTED IN HOW THINGS INTERACT ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL.

>> Reporter: AT THE SCHOOL OF MOLECULAR ENGINEERING, THIS PROFESSOR , PROTEIN ENGINEER , JUAN MENDOZA RESEARCHES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO ENGINEER CANCER TREATMENT .

IT IS WORK HE CAME TO LATER IN LIFE.

IT IS IN A FIELD HE SAYS IMMIGRANT PARENTS COULD NOT IMAGINE FOR THEIR SON AS THEY RAISED HIM IN CALIFORNIA.

>> I NEVER KNEW SCIENCE COULD BE A CAREER BECAUSE MY PARENTS WERE FROM A SMALL FARMING TOWN.

IT WAS NOT A PATHWAY WE COULD MAKE POSSIBLE.

>> Reporter: HE STARTED OUT STUDYING BIOCHEMISTRY AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY.

HE WENT TO A CAREER IN I.T.

BEFORE FINISHING HIS DEGREE.

HE RETURNED TO A CAREER IN SCIENCE WHERE HE SAID SUPPORT VIA MENTORSHIP ALLOW HIM TO REACH HIS POTENTIAL.

>> I REMEMBER WORKING AS A KID THROUGH COLLEGE TO FOCUS ON MY ACADEMICS.

I WASN'T THE STRONGEST STUDENT.

AFTER COMING BACK, MY BACHELORS DEGREE , I GOT INTRODUCED TO A FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT ALLOWED ME TO DO RESEARCH AND IT PAID ME A SALARY SO I COULD FOCUS ON THE RESEARCH AND STUDIES.

THAT MADE THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, I WAS APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOLS.

I WANT -- WENT TO ONE OF THE TOP GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT DALLAS, TEXAS .

REPORTED HE WAS NAMED A SCHOLAR BY THE MEDICAL INSTITUTE WHICH FUNDS EFFORTS TO BRING MORE SCIENTISTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS.

HE SAYS HE GOT RIGHT TO WORK.

>> I PUT OUT AN ADVERTISEMENT ON FACEBOOK AND SAID, I AM HIRING PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING IN SCIENCE.

>> Reporter: THIS GRADUATE HAS BEEN WORKING IN HIS LAB FOR THE LAST YEAR .

>> I HAVE WORKED ONE-ON-ONE , RESEARCH PROJECTS RELATED TO PROTEIN , MY PLAN IS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE.

INITIALLY , MY FIRST JOB OUT OF COLLEGE WAS IN A CLINICAL HEALTHCARE SETTING, AFTER BEING OFFERED THE POSITION HERE, I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO.

MY BOSS WAS REALLY UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE OF MY PLAN TO HAVE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE .

I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED HAVING SOMEONE WITH THE SAME BACKGROUND AS I DO , GUIDING ME PROFESSIONALLY.

I THINK HE REALLY HAS TAUGHT ME THAT THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.

>> Reporter: HE SAYS EVERY INSTITUTION SHOULD LOOK FOR WAYS TO CONNECT WITH ASPIRING SCIENTISTS.

>> YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS BE OUT THERE AND LET THEM KNOW IT IS A POSSIBILITY.

IF THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT , HOW DO THEY KNOW THEY WOULD LOVE IT?

EVER SINCE GETTING MY FIRST CHANCE TO WORK IN A LABORATORY , I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE WORK I DO.

>> HE WILL BE AMONG THE FACULTY AND STUDENTS ON HAND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SCIENCE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY ,