Claudia’s Calling: From First-Gen College Grad to Future M.D.

By Christina Acosta

Claudia Bañuelos didn’t think it unusual when she was invited to our campus in March to participate in a feedback session on the medical school admission process. After all, she had recently applied to the Foster School of Medicine.

But the feedback session was a clever ruse, in the best way. The school officials and community members in the room gave Bañuelos the surprise of a lifetime: an acceptance letter to medical school and a $50,000 scholarship.

“Honestly, it’s something very unexpected that I didn’t really visualize for myself,” said Bañuelos, an El Pasoan and first-generation college graduate. “When they said there was a special person here, I didn’t even think it was me — I was looking around, thinking ‘Oooh, who is it?’ It still feels like a dream.”

Bañuelos’ scholarship was made possible by generous donation from El Pasoans Wayne and Millie Martin. Totaling $100,000, the Martin’s gift to Texas Tech Health El Paso was evenly divided to support scholarships for medical and nursing students. In addition to the scholarship awarded to Bañuelos, Hunt School of Nursing student Abril Huerta Tello was selected as a Martin scholarship recipient.

To Martin’s daughter Charmaine A. Martin, M.D., serves as an associate dean for Student Affairs at Foster School of Medicine, furthering the family’s commitment to health care in the region.

To prepare financially for medical school, Bañuelos was working two jobs. Her family was ready to sell cakes and homemade lunches to help her cover her tuition. Now, the scholarship will ease a financial burden she thought she’d carry for years.

Determined to Make an Impact

Bañuelos is thinking about a career in surgery, inspired in part by the deeply personal experience of watching her grandfather battle stomach cancer.

“He couldn’t get the surgery he needed because we were short on doctors in the area,” she said. “I want to be the person who’s there when the stakes are high.”

After graduation, she plans to stay in El Paso and serve her community as a physician. Beyond patient care, she hopes to share her knowledge with future generations — inspiring others to follow in her footsteps and keep the momentum going.

Texas Tech Health El Paso Magazine, Fall 2025