Finding the silver lining in the face of the unknown

Escrito por: Dulce Ortiz 🇬🇹

Headshot of Manuel Alejandro Custodio. (Emelyn Gomez)

Creciendo en una casa con otros 16 familiares, Manuel Alejandro Custodio tuvo que buscar nuevas maneras de enfrentar sus desafíos.

“My mom finished middle school. My dad, I'm not even sure if my dad finished high school, but you know, the expectation was always college. And I wasn't sure I was gonna get there, but I knew I had to be there,” he said.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pfizer was working toward creating a vaccination clinic to aid in vaccine distribution. After receiving his medical assistant certification the year prior, Custodio was selected to join the experimental operation.

Esta experiencia, junto a sus intereses en ciencias y matemáticas, se convirtió en una pasión por la salud pública. Luego, se inscribió como estudiante de neurobiología en la Universidad de Maryland.

As an introvert and commuter, Custodio initially struggled to fit in. He also found it challenging to relate to his classmates, noting the difference in upbringings and opportunities.

“ I don't come from money…” Custodio said. “I'm not crazy talented, and I don't consider myself to be naturally smart either… But all I've had in my life is just an education. That's all I can really just say is mine.”

Photos of the Custodio Family. (Courtesy of Manuel Alejandro Custodio)

Motivado a encontrar su comunidad, Custodio se forzó a salir de su zona de confort y se convirtió en una persona más social. As he was trying to make meaningful connections, a doctor's trip on the first day of the semester would shape the remainder of his college experience.

“‘I know what you're gonna tell me, but I want to be wrong. I—I'm praying that I'm wrong.’ And I wasn't wrong,” Custodio said.

He was told that he had to begin treatment for a growing diagnosis—one that he moved forward with through grace and support from his family. During this time, he would receive surgery one day and sit in class the next, making him more resilient as time went on. 

Persevering, he found the silver lining in everything he did, whether that was becoming more involved in UMD’s Latino community or changing his major four times until he felt comfortable with what he did. 

Hasta en sus días más peores, cuando nadie sabía lo que él estaba pasando por, Custodio enfatizó la importancia de ser amable.

“Sometimes, I just needed somebody to smile at me. I just needed somebody to speak to me gently or somebody to be reassuring. And so, I always say, ‘You don't have to be a nice person, but you have to be a good person,’” he said.

As Custodio graduates with two bachelor’s degrees in microbiology and public health and is on track for his master’s degree in epidemiology through the BS+MPH Accelerated Program, he realizes that resilience was found in every decision he made to get to this point. 

“It's important to embrace not knowing what the future is gonna be like… but ultimately, whatever the future has, it's just important to learn, be curious, and grow from it.”

“Desde que supimos que venías, algo nos dijo a todos en la familia que traías mucha fuerza y luz. Así ha sido. Que continúes siendo inspiración y ejemplo.” - Roberto Carlos Perez