Meet Teresa Ornelas, IGNITE's 22-23 Denver Fellow

Teresa Ornelas is IGNITE’s Denver Fellow. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, Political Science and Philosophy with a minor in Spanish at the University of Denver. She is also getting a Master of the Arts in International Human Rights from the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies. Teresa served as the Communications Director for Colorado Young Democrats. She worked on Tattiana Matta’s Congressional campaign in 2016 and volunteered for the Joe Biden campaign in 2020. She currently volunteers for the ACLU of Colorado and New Era Colorado. As a child, Teresa experienced the loss of family members, and she wanted to give back to those who have experienced similar situations so she started working for Camp Erin Denver which hosts a children’s grief camp every summer. As the granddaughter of an immigrant, Teresa is dedicated to increasing diversity in politics as well as advocating for underrepresented voices. She is also passionate about social justice issues such as indigenous rights, women's rights, racial equality and criminal justice reform. For Denver inquiries, please contact Teresa at teresa@ignitenational.org.