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He hitchhiked to his first day at college.
Dr. Zenaido Camacho grew up on the Texas-Mexican border and was the son of migrant workers. Broke and a minority in the 1960s, a college education was unlikely.
"In elementary school, 100 percent of my classmates were Hispanic," said Camacho. "In my high school graduating class of 300-something students, only two students were Hispanic."
Perhaps what makes the University Colorado Denver vice provost and assistant vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion's story more interesting than most Cinderella stories is the racial discrimination Camacho faced.
"It is important to remember that I am old and these are things that occurred over half a century ago," said Camacho.
Camacho graduated valedictorian or salutatorian of his high school in Texas-he can't recall exactly which. He was also president of the National Honor Society and of his high school class.
Yet, his high school advisor told him there was no way he was going to get into college.
After working 17-hour days the summer post-high school graduation, Camacho saved up enough money to hitchhike to the University of Texas, Austin with nothing more than a brown bag lunch sack.
University of Texas rejected him.
"So I went home," said Camacho. Camacho's father was unwaivered by the rejection and told his son that there were other universities to hitchhike to.
Eventually, Camacho ended up at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He failed his first semester because advisers neglected to tell him to take prerequisites first. The Baylor football coach pleaded with administration to allow Camacho to remain in school.
Camacho's academic performance improved after the first semester and he became the first graduate of color from Baylor, with degrees in both psychology and chemistry.
"All I know is firsts," said Camacho.
Unable to get into medical school, Camacho eventually became the first person of color to obtain a Ph.D. of chemistry in the United States. He earned that degree in 1970.
Camacho's academic experience now includes positions as associate regional dean at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, vice president for student affairs at Rice University, senior associate dean at Baylor College of Medicine, and assistant dean for student affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Camacho has been working in academia for over 39 years. He has been inducted into the Hispanic Hall of Fame, awarded the Chicanos de Salud Outstanding Achievement Award, and is a fellow for the American Council of Education. In total, Camacho has been received over 45 selected awards, honors, and consultantships.
About the only thing that Camacho has failed at is retirement.
What drew Camacho to UCD after his second attempt to quit academia was the chance to work with diversity inclusion.
"I have never done diversity work, but it has been a passion of mine for years and years," said Camacho.
He said he was particularly drawn to the opportunity to work at UCD by the challenge of establishing a diversity office for both the downtown campus and the Anschutz campus.
Camacho said he is attracted to diversity work as result of the years of adversity he struggled with during his own academic career.
"I want the students at UCD to know that the university is here to care for and nurture its students," said Camacho.
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