Jesus Solis is-and always will be-a dancer. But he lives between many worlds: as an immigrant, first-generation college student, LGBTQ community member, writer, mental health advocate, and scientist.
As the oldest child in a Mexican-American household, he grappled with translating complex scientific information about lead contamination to his family. This instilled a desire to make science accessible to all people, especially underrepresented communities. So, he uprooted his life for graduate school at the University of Arizona, working with Dr. Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta and Project Harvest, a citizen science project focused on local communities living near contaminated sites.
This story was made possible in partnership with the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona.
Producer, Photographer & Editor: Sandra Westdahl
Sound Recordist: Angel Marquez
Sound Mix: Galen McCaw
Communications: Caroline Mosley