Daniel Hernandez, Jr.

Daniel Hernandez, Jr. is a Tucson native and the former congressional intern credited with saving Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ life in the aftermath of her attempted assassination. His medical training, quick thinking, and brave actions on that day have caused him to be celebrated as a true American hero, although he humbly rejects the title. He has also received nearly 40 awards and honors due to his actions. Hernandez addresses what happened on January 8th, what we can learn from the shooting, the power of community service, and the importance of following your passion.

The Arizona Shooting. While on the job assisting Congresswoman Giffords with a constituent event in Tucson on January 8, 2011, Hernandez was 30 feet from the congresswoman when he heard gunfire. When the shots began, he ran toward them. He located Giffords and applied pressure to the entry wound on her forehead while holding her upright in order to keep her form choking on the blood she was losing. He stayed with her until paramedics arrived. They loaded her into the ambulance, and Hernandez held her hand the entire time. He had only been an intern on Giffords’ staff for five days.

Due to his bravery, Hernandez was an honored guest of the President and First Lady during the 2011 State of the Union address. He addressed President Obama and a crowd of more than 27,000 people and over 500 international media outlets at the Tucson: Together We Thrive memorial on January 12, 2011. Hernandez has also conducted hundreds of interviews in English and Spanish with local, state, national, and international media outlets. His appearances include, ABC’s This Week, NBC’s Today Show, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show, The Fox Report, Univision’s Al Punto, BBC’s Outlook, NPR’s Tell Me More, CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight, and CBS’s Early Show. He has also been featured in TIME, The Washington Post, GQ, and People magazine.

Medical Training. Daniel Hernandez discovered his passion for the medical field after surviving an accident when he was five-years old. He had split his skull open, and it was a nurse that comforted him during his ordeal in the hospital. He knew that he wanted to be in health care in order to help people, so, while in high school, Hernandez started a certified nursing course. He completed the classes to become a certified nursing assistant and later became a phlebotomist.

Activism. Hernandez began his political activism in 2007 working on the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. In 2008, he worked on the Gabrielle Giffords congressional campaign, and two years later he directed the successful campaign to re-elect State Representative Steve Farley, who currently serves as assistant minority leader in the Arizona State House.

He is dedicated to student advocacy and political activism. He served as a director on the Arizona Students’ Association’s board of directors and advocated for affordable and accessible higher education for all Arizonans. He is currently a candidate for the vacant seat in the school district and a senior at the University of Arizona studying political science.