Since 2010, Elevations Foundation has provided continuing education scholarships for Colorado teens. As these remarkable young people make their way through classes at area colleges, universities and technical schools, we enjoy checking in to learn about their progress.
Dayanna Rosales is a first-generation Latina student who comes from a low-income background and a single-parent household. She graduated from Westminster High School in 2020 and attends the University of Denver as a biology major with minors in chemistry and leadership studies.
“I am the youngest of three siblings, and a survivor, but most importantly I am resilient,” Rosales said. “I strive to do my best and love to take on challenges.”
That’s exactly what she’s doing with her time at DU.
High school highlights
In high school, Rosales explored several future career options. She fell in love with the healthcare field during her time as an intern at the Paramedic Division* at Denver Health.
*Links to third-party site
“Through this experience, I looked into careers such as an emergency room physician, a dentist, and I’m excited to continue my studies as a physician assistant,” Rosales said. “As a physician assistant, my goal is to work with children and their families and help make them feel at home, just as I felt when I would visit doctors.”
She also participated in several volunteer activities and clubs in high school. The experience that stood out most to her, in addition to her internship, was her time with SkillsUSA.* Through this program, she expanded her knowledge of popular growing technology fields including 3D modeling, web design and video game design.
*Links to third-party site
“I was challenged in a way that helped me grow professionally,” she said.
Using her experience to pay it forward
Rosales said it’s incredibly rewarding to be working with Denver Kids* as a community partner to help first-generation students learn more about what options they have after high school and the resources available to them.
*Links to third-party site
This project was conducted via biweekly workshops and group lessons through Zoom to be mindful of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We made sure students were engaged and learned something useful,” she said. “At the end of our sessions, we also provided a school tour to our group of students so they could get exposure of what college life would be like. … I am now able to serve as an example to others like myself and help give back to my community.”
Looking forward to a future in healthcare
Rosales is on track to graduate from the University of Denver in June 2024. She is currently focusing her energy on her favorite classes, psychology and leadership.
She hopes to pursue a career as a pediatric physician assistant after graduation.
Rosales shared this helpful tip for high school seniors who are heading to college soon. “Take care of your mental health, because if you don’t do it, no one will do it for you!”
The scholarship from Elevations Foundation helped her do just that.
“It has helped me focus on my academics and has relieved a lot of stress in terms of paying my tuition, housing and other out-of-pocket expenses,” Rosales said.
Elevations Foundation has provided over $570,000 in scholarships since 2010 to support college-bound students in our community. Find out more about Elevations Foundation scholarships and consider donating to our scholarship program so we may continue making college a reality for promising young people like Dayanna Rosales.
