Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) is honored to announce its 2023 Partners of the Year. These four individuals were honored at the 2023 DSF Homecoming Gala and have gone above and beyond to support DSF and our students in the categories of College Partner, District Partner, Community Partner, and Corporate Partner. As our work is rooted in partnerships and relationships, and we thank these individuals for contributing their efforts and talents in supporting the Denver community, including Denver Public School students, DSF Scholars, Alumni and their families.
Jasmine Villalobos-Valles 2023 College Partner of the Year
The 2023 DSF College Partner of the Year is Jasmine Villalobos-Valles, Coordinator of Scholarship, Leadership, and Community Partner Programs for Student Success & Retention at Metropolitan State University of Denver. As a DSF Alum and DSF Alumni Advisory Committee Co-chair. Jasmine is a champion of DSF and continuously empowers our students with leadership and decision-making skills. Like most of the student population at MSU Denver, she was a first-generation college student. Throughout her college career, she worked as a student employee for the DSF Leadership Program and the Alternative Break Program. She is passionate about serving college students from all backgrounds.
David Woessner 2023 DSF District Partner of the Year
The 2023 DSF District Partner of the Year is David Woessner, Manager of the Product Integration Team at Denver Public Schools Department of Technology Services. David’s work has ensured that DSF has reliable access to the student data we need to gauge impact and better serve our students. He has worked for DPS as a teacher, tech support, and tech manager for 24 years. After moving out of the classroom about 15 years ago, David worked to make the jobs of teachers, school leaders, and administrators as easy and seamless as possible. He and his wife have been married for almost 30 years and have three children.
Elissa Banker 2023 DSF Corporate Partner of the Year
The 2023 DSF Corporate Partner of the Year is Elissa Banker, Director of Community Development and Partnerships at BOA Technology Inc. Elissa embodies the meaning of partner – she is passionate about DSF’s mission and work and is committed to building opportunities for young people in our community to gain exposure to the world of STEM. She brings over 15 years of experience in marketing and corporate social responsibility within the Outdoor Industry. Beyond her work, Elissa is deeply committed to participating in the change she wants to see, actively serving on the Associate Board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado. Elissa’s passion for social justice led her to establish Polite Tumor, a nonprofit focused on supporting young adults in Colorado diagnosed with breast cancer. She is an alum of Syracuse University and holds an executive certificate in social impact strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.
TeRay Esquibel 2023 DSF Community Partner of the Year
The 2023 DSF Community Partner of the Year is TeRay Esquibel, Executive Direct of Ednium, an organization supporting DPS alumni. He is a DPS graduate from Abraham Lincoln High School and was awarded the Daniels Fund Scholarship that allowed him the opportunity to attend the University of Denver, where he earned his degree in Business Management. While attending DU, TeRay dedicated himself to breaking down barriers to higher education within his community. TeRay has successfully partnered with DSF on learner voice projects, elevating issues surrounding DPS structure and curriculum, and issues related to Black and Brown males in the college pipeline. TeRay is also a DPS and DSF Alum who is spending his life in service of improving our community. TeRay has worked at the El Pomar Foundation Fellowship program, DU, the Denver based philanthropic organization RootED where the seed of Ednium was planted.
“The success of DSF would not be possible without the thoughtful collaboration of partners throughout our community,” says Lorii Rabinowitz, chief executive officer of DSF. “Each of their brilliant contributions enhances every aspect of our work. We enjoyed celebrating and thanking our four DSF Partners of the Year at the 2023 DSF Annual Homecoming Gala on October 20.”
