The same skills that I used as a welder, as a migrant farm worker, are similar skills that I'm using as a brain surgeon.

As a researcher at US Berkeley I used to go into the brains of small, little animals and study the way that brains were connected and how little did I know that one day that was going to be my future - exploring the universe of the brain and hold it in between my hands and look at cells migrating.

You have to have passion for everything you do, and you've got to look at the positive side.

I'm not a genius. I just worked really, really hard, and I want our generation, our children and our future generations to realize that they can fulfill the same dreams.

I continue to do my job as a brain surgeon, as a researcher, and I try to make it better and better every day, not only for my patients but for their families, for my family and for the future generations of our country.

If you look at some of the clips of me in the operating room, I sit in the chair, I control the microscope with my mouth, I connect, my hands are always working in the brain, my feet are controlling everything.

I hear hate. I hear people who clearly don't have a great understanding of the American dream. That the American dream is based on hard work and dedication, determination, resilience, excitement, mentorship, help and love for each other.