Just days after Delilah Dominguez, MHS ’20, was selected as the national Student of the Year by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, she was lauded as the catalyst for a Quinnipiac webinar during the spring of 2020 about health care disparity.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who took part in the webinar at the invitation of Dominguez, vowed to keep pushing for equal access to health care in America, including free COVID-19 testing. The senator addressed nearly 300 people during the event.
“I hope this discussion excites and inspires everyone to become more involved in advocacy,” said Dominguez. “We all have more power than we think, especially when we exercise our rights as citizens.”
It was precisely this mindset that helped Dominguez earn national Student of the Year honors from the AAPA, a professional organization that represents nearly 140,000 members.
The award recognized Dominguez for her academic achievement, her professional development as a two-term member of the AAPA’s House of Delegates, and her deep commitment to helping others in need.
“This award is humbling,” Dominguez said. “It represents the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance despite many hardships.”
In the wake of losing her mother and grandmother in 2011 — “my two dearest matriarchs,” as she calls them — Dominguez credits Quinnipiac’s physician assistant program for helping her develop the voice and leadership skills to address the AAPA’s House of Delegates.