Currently a senior studying political science at the University of Arizona, Daniel Hernandez rocketed to fame early in 2011 while interning at the Tuscon offices of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords. On January 8, he heard shots, ran toward Giffords, and administered first aid that most likely saved her life after the horrific mass shooting that claimed six others. Active in LGBT and education issues, Hernandez has since been raising awareness and funds for various causes. He wants to remind people that we are going into an important election year, and where we are now, with changes to “don’t ask, don’t tell” and other progressive legislation, is very different than before Obama was elected three years ago. “We need to celebrate the victories that we’ve had, but also realize that there’s still a lot of work to be done, and not everything’s going to be done overnight.”

See the inspiration for this photo here