William Navarrete Moreno Awarded $50,000 Voyager Scholarship for Public Service by the Obama Foundation to Pursue Public Health Passion
William Navarrete Moreno can’t forget a call that would change his life. He was a fifth grader when he got a call from his mother, an immigrant from Mexico, who was at the emergency room. Her thyroid cancer had progressed to the point where she was having trouble breathing, and without the proper admin paperwork and financial resources, she was unable to get adequate health care.
She was worried, but she had an even more important message: “She said, ‘I might not see you again, but I want to tell you that I love you,’” Moreno recalls. “And that really sparked something in me. Kids shouldn’t have to worry about their parents passing away because they don’t have enough money to pay for a surgery.”
That moment set Moreno on a trajectory to become an advocate for underserved communities. Now, he is a third-year student at CU Denver, studying public health with a minor in biology. He recently received significant recognition for his efforts: Moreno was selected as one of only 100 students nationwide to receive the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service, awarded by the Obama Foundation.
As part of the two-year program, Moreno will receive up to $50,000 in financial aid—$25,000 for his junior year and $25,000 for his senior year—to support his education. He will also participate in a fully funded, 10-week Summer Voyage to work with mentors and leaders on health disparities research, supported by a $10,000 stipend and free Airbnb housing. “I think this scholarship not only gives me the opportunity to expand my impact nationally, but it’s going to give me the ability to grow my network and be in rooms with people that have a lot of power, and people who are very passionate about the same things I’m passionate about,” Moreno said.
A Theme of Saying Yes to New Opportunities
Growing up in a close-knit but underserved community in Colorado Springs, Moreno attended Title I schools, which receive additional federal funding to support students from low-income families. Though these schools often face challenges like limited resources, opportunities, and larger class sizes, Moreno didn’t let that hinder his passion for learning. When he was in middle school, his teacher suggested he apply to Colorado Early Colleges, a charter school network that offers fast-tracks to high school graduation. “I was like, let me try. I got a high enough test score that I got into some college classes freshman year, and that really showed me that I love school, I love learning, I love science,” Moreno said.
He ended up graduating from high school a year early, and around that time, his advisor recommended he apply to the Boettcher Foundation Scholarship, which provides full-ride scholarships to any Colorado higher-education institution. He got to the semi-finalist stage and had an interview in downtown Denver, where his interest in CU Denver’s campus sparked.
Moreno received the scholarship and was accepted into the university’s BA/BS-MD degree, an accelerated medical program in which students who graduate from the downtown Denver campus get a reserved spot at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “It was life-changing, because there would have been absolutely zero way me, or my parents, could have afforded college without having to work multiple jobs,” he said.
After a year at CU Denver, he realized his passions were more aligned with public health and advocacy, so he switched majors. His experience in the classroom also played a part in his decision. “My instructors and professors, there’s such a passion behind what they’re doing,” Moreno said. “And one of the biggest things is opportunity and connections, with the School of Public Health and School of Medicine at CU Anschutz, and the nonprofit organizations that I’ve been able to work with because they’re located in Denver.”
Another opportunity came his way earlier this year, when his friend told him about the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service. “She said, ‘I think you’d be a great fit for this,’” Moreno said. “And I’m like, OK, a lot of people tell me I’m good fit. So, you know what? I’m going to try.” After a lengthy process that included submitting essays and a video, Moreno was notified in June that he received the scholarship. He plans to use the funds to help pay for his junior and senior year and, potentially, for graduate school. “I want to pursue further education because one, I love learning, and two, I’m a huge nerd, so I don’t know where I would be without having to learn,” Moreno said.
Helping Other Students Meet Their Moment at CU Denver
Saying “yes” has been a pivotal part of Moreno’s journey. It led him to apply to and be accepted to the Youth Advisory Board for the Young Invincibles, which is a national nonprofit that helps young people advocate for health care, higher education, and more in the political process. Earlier this year, he had the opportunity to testify at the Capitol for the First-Generation-Serving Higher Education Institutions bill that passed in the 2024 legislative session. “I was able to share my story as a first-generation student,” Moreno said.
Inspired by his work with Young Invincibles, Moreno realized he wanted to help other CU Denver students find their voice. He started CU CHANGE (Coalition for Health Advancement and Narrowing Gaps in Equity), a health equity student organization that has grown to roughly 80 students in a year. CU CHANGE has engaged in community work and advocacy, including lobbying and grassroots organizing for a universal health care study bill to increase accessibility for all Coloradans, Moreno said.
To date, CU Change has partnered with the Colorado Department of Public Health, Vivent Health, and the Health Center at Auraria to provide free STI testing for students and community members on campus and worked with the Colorado Black Health Collaborative to provide blood pressure testing equipment for local barber shops and salons to make hypertension screenings more accessible and convenient in community spaces. “CU CHANGE gives students a space to do health equity work, whether it be advocacy or direct community work,” Moreno said. The success of CU CHANGE’s work led to its evolution into a nonprofit called TheCHANGEproject, which aims to address health equity and drive systemic change on a larger scale.
Moreno hopes all these moments—of saying yes to new opportunities, helping others, and initiating change in his communities—will lead to a career that will ultimately help people. “The whole purpose behind why I want to pursue this career and do all of this is to help my family,” Moreno said.