Meet Our Scholars

Born in Mexico City, Daniel grew up in a society permeated with discrimination, intolerance and inequality. This prompted him to become an active change agent to both his community and his country. As a political science student, he wrote opinion pieces on subjects that were close to his heart: marriage equality, diversity and the protection of sexual minority rights, among others. His work caught the attention of a local newspaper and then evolved to become a recurrent collaboration for one of Mexico’s most preeminent blogs. Realizing how strategic communications could bring on cultural transformation was a key breakthrough for Daniel. He went on to study a one-year Diploma in film production, as well as courses in scriptwriting, photography, and oratory. Each of these elements would come in handy as he continued to work toward the goal of expanding equality, dignity, and tolerance. As an advisor to the Secretary of the Interior of Mexico, Daniel has contributed to shaping the Federal Government’s discourse, regarding inclusion and non-discrimination. In May 2016, he took part in organizing the first meeting in history of a Mexican President with the LGBTQ community. He has also designed work paths to implement policies and campaigns at a national level for the protection of Human Rights. As a filmmaker, Daniel has co-written and directed short films, documentaries and most recently, the pilot of a web series on bullying and non-discrimination, targeting audiences across Latin America. Daniel believes that while LGBTQ rights have achieved extremely important milestones in the past few decades, the deepest changes, regarding education, equality of opportunity and political participation are yet to come. After graduating, he wishes to become an active leader in his community and partake in these transformations.