North Carolina
Running for: NC House District 63
A son of working-class immigrants, Ricky grew up in rural North Carolina and is a product of public schools. Working two jobs in high school while juggling school and sports, Ricky strived to achieve a dream familiar to many North Carolinians: to go to college and get a good job to be able to support his family.
A first-generation college student, Ricky’s dream finally came true when he was accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead-Cain Scholar. He found his passion for public service while at UNC, mentoring other high school students who grew up in similar circumstances and were working hard to make their own dreams come true. These experiences set him on a path to eventually attend graduate school at Princeton University, focusing on how to create effective public policy to fight poverty and inequality and build strong, vibrant communities.