Meet our 2021-2022 Joe Shoemaker Fellow: Daniel Casillas

​My name is Daniel Casillas and I am in my last semester at the University of Colorado Denver majoring in Public Health and minoring in Chemistry.  I'm originally from Pueblo, Colorado but moved to Denver for the beauty of the city and the opportunities I would gain from attending university here. Following my graduation from Pueblo Centennial High School, I wanted to have a broader impact on the political climate of young people in Denver and wanted to stay engaged in extracurriculars as much as I could in college.   I was highly engaged with the CU Denver Student Government Association throughout the initial years of college, and eventually decided to run for student body president. After a successful election, my Vice President, Fabian Laguna and I aimed to drive CU Denver forward and create opportunities for students to be heard and advocate for their respective identities at a newly identified Hispanic Serving Institution.

I now have the honor of working for Speaker Alec Garnett at the Colorado Capitol where I am learning more about health policy through the Joe Shoemaker Fellowship. As I approach the end of my time here at CU Denver, I aspire to attend the Colorado School of Public Health to earn an MPH in Health Systems, Management and Policy to have the tools to tackle the healthcare inequities in Colorado. Thank you to everyone who has helped me throughout my academic career!

The TGF team is excited to be working with Daniel this semester on all things River related!