Colorado Springs native receives $50,000 from Obama Foundation | Education

When William Navarette Moreno applied for an Obama Foundation public service fellowship, he thought it would fit with his personal commitment to public health, but he didn't think he had a real chance of winning.

“I thought I'd just give it a try, it couldn't do any harm,” says 19-year-old Moreno. “But there is incredible competition for these national scholarships.”

He said he could hardly believe it when he received the letter stating that he was part of the third class of Voyager Public Service Fellows.

“I read it over and over to make sure it was true,” said Moreno, a third-year student at the University of Colorado Denver. “I was shocked. I'm overjoyed and ecstatic.”

The Obama-Chesky Voyager Fellowship (funded by a $100 million contribution from Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky) will launch in 2022 and will be awarded to 100 third-year college students pursuing careers in public service, according to a foundation press release. Moreno and his fellow Voyagers will each receive up to $50,000 in financial support over the next two years.

Moreno, a health sciences student, developed a passion for public service at a young age, he said.

Moreno, the son of immigrants who did not speak English well, watched his mother nearly die from an untreated thyroid disease due to language and financial barriers.

“I realized that health care equity is not only important, but extremely urgent,” said Moreno, who was born and raised in Colorado Springs.

“This has made me want to break down the barriers that deny people their basic human rights. I believe that healthcare is a human right.”

After graduating from Colorado Early Colleges in Colorado Springs in 2022, Moreno enrolled at UC Denver hoping to find a major that would help him pursue his passion. He found it in public health.

“I really fell in love with this field of study,” he said. “It's very prevention-oriented, and that's exactly what I wanted.”

“I have viewed public health as an immense and powerful tool that has helped me in my mission to ensure that no one else has to suffer the preventable hardships my family has faced.”

Moreno's choice of biology as a minor was a nod to what he calls his “nerdy side.”

“I just love science,” he said. “I'm a huge science nerd.”

The latest group of Voyager scholars includes students from 44 states and territories representing 88 colleges and universities, the press release said.

The benefits of the fellowship go beyond financial, officials said. Voyager fellows also receive money for a work travel experience, a 10-year travel stipend and access to a network of public service leaders and mentors.

They will also have the opportunity to meet with former President Obama and Brian Chesky and discuss their personal plans to “make communities around the world a better place to live,” the press release said.

The scholarship will enable Moreno to complete his studies without debt, he said.

“I don't have to take out loans, which is great,” he said. “But it also allows me to pursue something that I'm really passionate about.”

To that end, Moreno founded a nonprofit called TheCHANGEproject, which initiates grassroots initiatives to address systemic health inequities. He also researches health inequities at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health as a fellow in the Fostering Advancement and Careers through Enrichment Training in Science (FACETS) program.

“Public service is not about waiting for the opportunity to make a difference,” said Moreno, a 2022 Boettcher Fellow. “It’s about creating those opportunities.”

As he continues his journey toward a career in public service, Moreno offers some advice to young people who wish to pursue a similar path.

“Don't be afraid to challenge the status quo,” he said. “Real change happens when you refuse to accept things as they are.”