Comments:
Note from Danny's father:
UPON GRADUATION FROM AIR ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL, DANNY LEFT FOR CALIFORNIA WHERE HE WORKED WITH HIS COUSIN (A CONTRACTOR) FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR. SINCE HE LOVED TO PLAY FOOTBALL, HE WROTE THE FOOTBALL COACH AT NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY AND ASKED IF IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO TRYOUT FOR THE TEAM AS A WALK-ON. HE WAS ALLOWED, AND REPORTED TO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY FOR THE START OF THE 1990 SEASON. DUE TO HIS HARD WORK, DANNY WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE TEAM AND WAS AWARDED AN ATHLETIC SCHOLORSHIP FOR THE 1991 THROUGH THE 1994 SCHOOL YEARS. IN 1993 HE WAS AWARDED THE NEW MEXICO HIGHLAND'S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR OBTAINING A 3.75 GPA. HE GRADUATED AND RECEIVED HIS BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY (CRIMINOLOGY) IN MAY OF 1995. AFTER GRADUATION, HE OBTAINED A JOB WITH A YOUTH TREATMENT FACILITY IN VALMORA NEW MEXICO, WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL HIS TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON AUGUST 4, 1995. FOR THE PAST 13 YEARS HIS MEMORY HAS BEEN KEPT ALIVE WITH A SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT HOSTED BY THE FAMILY AND COLLEGE FRIENDS, WHICH IS HELD IN SANTA ROSA, NM. THE TOURNAMENT IS CALLED THE DANIEL R. HERRERA JR., MEMORIAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT. IT IS HELD ON THE LAST WEEK IN JULY. TWO $500.00 SCHOLORSHIPS ARE GIVEN TO TWO SANTA ROSA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING SENIORS IN HIS NAME FROM THE PROCEEDS MADE AT THE TOURNAMENT.
