From Screwdrivers to Scalpels: A Chaffey Student's Journey of Transformation

When Oscar Moreno was 12-years-old, he slipped into a white lab coat and shadowed his physician uncle as the man made rounds in a hospital.

Those moments stayed with Moreno throughout his life, even after high school when he went to work for his family’s handyman business.

“Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to work in the medical field,” he said.

Moreno finally took a leap of faith in 2024 and began pursuing his dream at Chaffey College.

The Fontana resident now splits his time between working as a full-time entrepreneur and majoring in biology. He hopes to eventually follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

“I want to dedicate my life to medicine and helping others,” he said.

Moreno, a San Bernardino native, graduated from Cajon High School in 2011. As the lead mechanic for Cardenas Markets at the time, Moreno’s father knew how to fix a wide variety of equipment used in grocery stores – from commercial ovens to air conditioning units. He passed on that knowledge to his son.

The pair eventually formed a business called O&B Maintenance and Repair and have repair contracts with 40 Inland Empire grocery stores. But while Moreno enjoys his job, he acknowledges it is very physical.

“When I get older, it’s going to be a lot harder,” he said. “Some of these machines are like 4,000 pounds.”

He knows that pursuing a medical career comes with its own challenges, but he is ready for them. Moreno has started his journey, taking a Spanish and English class his first semester – and to his surprise he got As in both. He currently holds a 4.0 GPA, earning A+ grades in all the classes he has taken since then.

Now he’s excelling in an honor’s English class, despite being surrounded by traditional-age students who took honors courses in high school.

“It’s a little intimidating, but when we got our first paper back, I was one of the students who got a perfect score,” he said.

Chaffey College Dean of Arts, Communication and Design Leona Fisher said she considers Moreno’s story to be inspirational.

“Oscar is such a profoundly inspiring person. He’s a biology major, pre-med and a successful business owner who is rewriting his story here at Chaffey,” Fisher said. “People like Oscar are why we all do what we do.”

Moreno hopes to transfer to a UC school for pre-med requirements, and go to medical school from there.

“I want a better future for myself,” Moreno said. “I want to show myself that I can be a doctor, and I also want to show people that it’s never too late to achieve your dreams."