Daniel Hernandez Jr. was in his first week as a political intern for former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords when she was shot in 2011. Hernandez rushed to her aid. Although he is credited with saving her life, Hernandez doesn’t see himself as a hero.
Two years later, Hernandez can be found traveling the country and speaking about public advocacy and overcoming obstacles.
He is the featured speaker for Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The event is sponsored by the Multicultural Center, the LGBT Center and the Black Student Cultural Programming Board.
“One of the things I think that is interesting for me is the ability to speak about growing up in Arizona, being a first-generation college student, getting involved in health care — which helped me with Congresswoman Giffords (when she was shot) — and the challenges I’ve faced and how I overcame them,” Hernandez said.
Anyone can find a way to give back to the community no matter what they are interested in, and Hernandez said he hopes students understand that.
“I want to encourage people to find their passion and use that passion to serve their community,” he said.
Delfin Bautista, director of the LGBT Center, said they wanted to find ways to highlight different identities between sexuality, orientation and gender throughout the year, and Hernandez, who identifies as gay, was brought up as a good speaker to have.
“For Hispanic Heritage Month, I wanted to raise awareness about how Latinos engage sexuality, finding ways to lift up the challenges as well as resilience,” Bautista said.
Bautista approached the Multicultural Center to co-sponsor the event, and Winsome Chunnu-Brayda, the associate director of the Multicultural Center, was more than happy to because Hernandez captures the essence of the heritage month, she said.
“He will speak to what it means for intersecting identities,” she said. “He’s learned so much while navigating the challenges and can share how hopes, successes, hard work and perseverance pay off.”
The LGBT Center is also offering a free lunch and discussion with Hernandez before the event.
“The goal is to allow for more personal interaction with Daniel,” Bautista said. “It’s an informally formal opportunity for conversation.”
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