Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/519582
t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 5 12 Q | Tell us a bit about your upbringing and the influences that shaped your life. A | We're all shaped by our past in a profound and enduring way. We are the product of our culture, our family core values and our educational experience provided by devoted mentors. There are really three major forces that shaped my life and my current position. The first one, of course, is my family. My mother and father came from a very poor background in Portugal, with limited opportunity. My dad, at age 17, left for Brazil as a means of support- ing the family back home. Although he had limited education, he was driven and creative and became reasonably successful in providing some resources to the family back home. But, the opportunities were limited there as well, so he decided his best way to help his family was to come to the United States. The only problem was that he did not have a formal invitation. Rather, he ended up a stowaway on a ship, in a box for 13 days, and eventu- ally made it to the New York Harbor. He worked construction in the Bronx, right across the street from Fordham University, where I would go to school years later. He shared with me his dreams of those early years of send- ing his children to college. He would confidently tell his roommate, 'I'm going to be sending my children there [Fordham].' Three of his five children graduated from Fordham College. With the U.S. entering World War II, his love of country and all that it That example had a profound impact on me. There are some really heart-wrenching stories. Families that were wiped out by war or suffering from lack of opportunity—in some cases, he supported families for years. He was truly altruistic and expected those core values of us. We were expected to serve, especially among those who are underserved and might not have the same opportunities. My second influence derives from a string of dedicated teachers, particu- larly in high school, who inspired me to apply myself and learn. A seminal event for me was the dissection of my first frog, after which I wanted to know every- thing about how the organ systems work and how this miracle of complex- ity enabled an organism to function. RONALD A. DePINHO, M.D., PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER, SAT DOWN WITH TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF STRATEGY AND OPERATING OFFICER WILLIAM F. McKEON TO LOOK BACK ON THE INFLUENCES THAT LED HIM TO MEDICINE, AND HOW PASSION AND DEDICATION DRIVE THE MD ANDERSON TEAM IN THEIR BATTLE AGAINST CANCER. stood for inspired him to enlist and earn his citizenship. He fought on the Italian front and was one of the few to come back alive from his company. Following his return to the U.S., he built a construction company, got involved in real estate and started a family. When he reached a certain level of stability, he focused his attention on helping others in need. Driven by Christian values, he would identify families with limited opportunities in other parts of the world and sponsor them to come to the U.S. He did this for many families residing in Africa, South America and Europe. They would come one by one, and he would get them integrated into our country. Many were afforded the opportunity to live the American dream. TMC SPOTLIGHT