Alejandro Paz is known locally as a highly successful North County physician who generously gives back to the community. What is not well-known is what he overcame to get where he is today.
Born in 1954 and raised primarily in Escondido, Paz was the oldest of seven children. His parents were migrant farm workers who moved to Escondido in 1953 for year-round farm work.
They picked citrus until Paz was 8 and his mother stopped working to care for the children. His father transitioned to gardening for Rancho Santa Fe homeowners.
“We had humble living conditions,” Paz said. “Mostly beans and tortillas daily with great salsa. We lived in a small home with one bedroom. All the children slept in the living room.”
Although neither parent’s education went beyond eighth grade, Paz cites education as the key to his success. The seeds were planted by his father’s clients.
“We would accompany our father on his Rancho Santa Fe yard work route, and some customers would invite the children in,” he recalled.
“Because my father instilled in us not to trust White people, the others would not go. I was more adventurous.
“When I got inside, I was struck by the gigantic homes. They would show me their libraries and talk about reading and education and try to orient me to the world. I was motivated by what I saw. I wanted a large library some day and felt if they could succeed, so could I.”
These interactions ended when Paz was 12 and his father, who had a drinking problem, abandoned the family, leaving his mother to raise the seven children.
However, his focus on reading and education continued. His mother reinforced the importance of education as best she could.
His siblings did not share his focus. Some were involved with gangs and drugs, which Paz avoided with the excuse he needed to study. He would often leave the small, crowded and noisy house to read in a nearby park.
“I was not an exceptional student,” he said. “More important, I was motivated and applied myself consistently.”
By 14, his ambition was to become a physician despite no role models and only having seen doctors twice for vaccinations. He described it as just something from within.
His focus and hard work paid off.
After graduating high school in 1972, Paz graduated college with a bachelor’s in human biology, earned a master’s in public health and graduated medical school.
His mother attended each graduation and cried. Paz was one of only two in his family to graduate high school and the only one to go beyond.
Financing for his education came from working, scholarships, loans, which he repaid, and a three-year commitment to medical-related public service, which he fulfilled.
He went on to practice family medicine for 34 years with Graybill Medical Group, serving as its president since 2006. Graybill, with 80 medical providers, has nine locations, including in Escondido.
“Medicine has been my family, and I am devoted to it,” he said. “Many patients have been with me for quite a few years, and now I have their kids. That is the most fulfilling aspect of family practice. I watch them grow and come back.”
A Vista resident, his home includes a large library encompassing several rooms as he envisioned during his childhood.
In addition to reading and medicine, Paz enjoys giving back.
In 2022, he created a nonprofit, Foundation Mixteco Unidos, to help Mixteco communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, funding schools, providing equipment and encouraging economic development.
Locally, his nonprofit has funded high school sports equipment and Mariachi musical instruments, now part of Vista High School’s curriculum. It has also partnered with several North County service clubs on local projects.
As for the future, Paz plans to sponsor a course designed to help high school students stay focused and resilient amidst life’s ups and downs, drawing on the principles of ancient Stoicism.
“I want to inspire kids,” he said, “just as my father’s customers did for me.”
About this series
Goldsmith is a Union-Tribune contributing columnist.
We welcome reader suggestions of people who have done something extraordinary or otherwise educational, inspiring or interesting and who have not received much previous media. Please send suggestions to Jan Goldsmith at jgsandiego@yahoo.com