Saint Joseph Hospital Honors High School Intern, Daniels Scholar

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Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital celebrated Zafiro Portillo Primera, a high school intern who graduates from Arrupe Jesuit High School May 24 and has received the prestigious Daniels Scholarship. She has been accepted into the nursing program at Regis University.  

Portillo Primera is one of many students from Arrupe and Denver Public Schools who participate in an internship, mentorship, or job training program at the hospital each year. Saint Joseph’s Community Benefit team organizes five separate programs to provide job training and work experience in the emergency department, nursing, simulation education, the foundation and in physician clinics.  

In August, the hospital will add Project SEARCH which provides internships designed for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  

“These high school career education programs serve multiple purposes. They give students the chance to see options for careers that pay livable salaries, and they help grow the future healthcare workforce,” said Chuck Ault, Intermountain Health community benefit manager. 

The internship at Saint Joseph influenced Portillo Primera's decision to pursue nursing in college, she said. 

“I found it fascinating that medicine helps the human body heal itself,” she said. “Nurses play a huge role in interacting more with patients in an impactful way.”  

Portillo Primera spent this past school year working at Saint Joe’s Education and Simulation Lab to help create materials for caregiver education including models for practicing medical procedures. She was nominated for a special employee recognition during the internship because of her passion and curiosity for learning. She shared that she hopes to come back to work at Saint Joe’s when she finishes her studies.  

Portillo Primera also interned at a corporate office but knew that her future career plans were in healthcare. She had heart surgery at the age of 10 and remembered how kind the nurses were and how the caregivers educated her about her condition.  

Lisa Maskus, simulations lab educator, said she hosts several interns during the school year and in the summer teaching them about different healthcare careers and enjoying when they make connections and learn.