Dr. Tony Alamo, ’86 BS Chemistry, a longtime Southern Nevada physician, has had a varied career. He currently is chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission and tactical physician for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s SWAT division. He previously served as chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, is the first civilian recipient of Metro’s Medal of Valor, and a licensed pilot.

The advice I’d give myself as a new graduate … I would remind myself that graduation is a beginning, not an end. UNLV is a place where I acquired raw materials from which to go to the next phase of my life: medical school and residency. In fact, every aspect of life is a new beginning that builds on the last.

If you circle back to everything I do, it’s either because I grew up in a gaming environment — my father was in gaming — or because of my medical degree. People might look at my career and say, ‘Oh, you’ve done so many things,’ but the spokes of the wheel always go back to the hub.

In high school I would have told myself, 'Do not bypass UNLV.' [Alamo first attended UCLA but quickly transferred back to his hometown university.] If there are reasons for you to go elsewhere, they should be viable reasons. If you think UNLV is not academic enough or worthy enough of having you and will hold you back from bigger and better things, you’re blowing it, kid.

Because at the end of the day, I have a baccalaureate from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. And that has made all the difference in my life.

The Alumni Advice series is part of our special 2016 commencement week celebrations, which include the annual Alumni Association Awards Program on May 12, and the spring graduation ceremonies on May 13 and 14. Join us in congratulating our newest alumni on social media with #UNLVGrad.