Centennial High School student wins Congress of Future Medical Leaders award

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Centennial High School Junior Grace Ochoa always has wanted to be in the medical field.

It wasn’t until after a sports injury that she decided to be an orthopedic doctor.

Though she’s been a stellar student and athlete, she was one of 200 delegates hand selected to get an invitation to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders of Excellence in Boston.

“My mom was like ‘that’s Harvard!’ and I was like it is?” Ochoa exclaimed about her receiving the phone call.

Only the best and brightest students in the country are chosen for the three-day event. Her favorite was her last day.

“My last day was the surgery, so watching the surgery, especially for the field that I want to go into, was a big excitement!,” Ochoa said.

The Centennial High student won the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence.

With this award, Bottega University granted her a dual enrollment scholarship and that’s where she is currently taking pre-med prerequisite classes.

Grace’s mother, Tuesday Ochoa shared her excitement over her daughter’s participation in the program, “It was just so fun to watch her. I’ve always been interested in science and I am in the medical field as well and so getting to experience this with her was so fun for both of us.”

The recognition struck a chord.

This award is proof all of Grace’s hard work paid off and it’s just the beginning. “Just looking back at it, it was just a great experience to have. Especially to be invited, and be recognized? That’s a big deal,” Grace said.

“She just is kind, she’s kindhearted, she’s easygoing, and nothing really phases her. Things just kind of roll off her shoulder. Even with the most difficult school schedule that she has with sports…with her injuries, she just kept going!,” Tuesday explained.

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