Home is Where the Heart Resides

Anjelica Elizondo, who is on track to becoming a Baylor University graduate three times over, reflects on what swayed her choice to remain a Baylor Bear over the past eight years. She believes the answer lies with the people she has met along the way, both professors and peers within Baylor's Department of Public Health.  

May 7, 2024
Portrait of a Baylor University student, wearing a black Baylor shirt and jean skirt.

Anjelica Elizondo’s desire to work in the health profession was first inspired by her mother’s childhood stories. The daughter of migrant farm workers, Elizondo’s mother struggled as a child to interact with healthcare practitioners when she was sick or injured because her parents spoke no English and she herself spoke very little at the time.

Hearing about the traumatic experiences of her mother and knowing that these challenges are not unique, especially in Latino communities, Elizondo felt driven to pursue an education, and ultimately a career, that would allow her to address issues plaguing the United States healthcare system, like language as a barrier to medical care.

When she first started seriously considering colleges, Elizondo and her mother drove up to Waco to tour Baylor University. She loved it.  

“I was previously convinced I would attend a different college—one closer to my mom in San Antonio,” she recalled. “However, after the tour, I kept comparing every school to Baylor.”

It turned out her mom had fallen in love with Baylor too, so in 2016, Elizondo enrolled at Baylor as a Health Science Studies major on the pre-physical therapy track. However, an experience during her freshmen year offered a slight shift in direction.

“There was a class we were required to take that introduced us to various healthcare disciplines,” she said. “This class ultimately introduced me to the public health profession and an entire realm outside of being a clinical physician.”  

The following semester, Elizondo changed her major to Public Health, believing this was the educational trajectory that could truly equip her to work towards addressing the issues her family experienced while trying to access care.

“I want to study the numbers behind why things happen on a large scale,” she explained. “I want to see the statistics, the objective side, and try to rectify that with the disproportionate access to medical care there is currently throughout the U.S.”

Elizondo knew that the field of public health would allow her to make an even broader impact across populations. As a physician, she would have been treating individual patients. As a public health practitioner, she would be addressing the health and wellness needs of entire communities—hopefully preventing the doctor’s visit from even happening.   

She has since earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from Baylor. Currently, Elizondo is working toward her PhD in Public Health—also at Baylor—diving into cervical cancer research with her Baylor faculty mentor, Matt Asare, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public Health.

“Dr. Asare has quite a lot of experience in this area. Most recently, we have conducted research regarding increasing cervical cancer screening among underserved women through self-sampling tests,” she said. “I hope to take the experience and knowledge I have gained in this field and apply it to my dissertation research in the near future.”

“I loved the idea of remaining at Baylor for my master’s degree, and now for my PhD—if my mom can get over continuing the three-hour distance, then I can, too.”

On the track to becoming a Baylor graduate three times over, Elizondo looks back on her life and her time at Baylor, reflecting on what swayed her choice to remain a Baylor Bear over the past eight years. She believes the answer lies with the people she has met along the way, both professors and peers.  

“My favorite thing about Baylor has been the niche experiences I have had the opportunity to be a part of, both academically and socially,” she reminisced. “Some of my favorite memories with my peers were made at Baylor events like Christmas on 5th Street, Mosaic Mixer, or the Hispanic Student Association’s Fiesta.”

In addition to the larger Baylor traditions and community, Elizondo has found real connection within the Department of Public Health as well. When applying to MPH programs, she received an offer from two universities. Her relationships with the Baylor Public Health faculty ultimately kept her in Waco.

“After I made that decision for the MPH program, my mom told me that she knew Baylor was still the place for me. I love that my mom never gave her opinion upfront so as to not influence me into a decision,” she reflected. “I loved the idea of remaining at Baylor for my master’s degree, and now for my PhD—if my mom can get over continuing the three-hour distance then I can, too.”

Her career at Baylor has been long and full, but as she is closing in on her projected graduation in 2025, she has begun to think of what is next. Elizondo looks to bring her knowledge to San Antonio and bridge the gap between the current healthcare system to create inclusive and affordable care methods in all communities. 

“I want to work for the city or the state health department,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to help vulnerable communities, specifically African American, Latino, and low-income communities.” 

While open to going where she is most needed, Elizondo ultimately hopes it’s a return to her hometown—because while her heart may bleed green and gold, it resides wherever her mother is.