Ricky is a Representative for NC House District 63 (Alamance County) and Co-Founder and Director of Advancement for LatinxEd, a non-profit educational initiative in NC providing targeted, multi-year support to Latinx students and immigrant families striving for higher education and greater opportunity. He is also a trusted advisor to Alamance Achieves, serves on the Alamance Achieves Steering Committee, and has partnered on the Community Voice Project to expand community organizing in Alamance County. You can learn more about Ricky on his website, here.
What is something you love about your neighborhood / community? What makes it special?
People are proud of who they are, where they came from, and want to share their gifts with you. Whether it is food, stories, or a place that is meaningful to them, I love how much people in this community love Alamance and their story. Not every community has that, so it's important we honor and cherish that as we think about how we build off of that to create a community that centers that as one of its core values.
What are your hopes for the longer-term future of Alamance County? What are your concerns?
My hope is that we can create a learning environment for all of our kids to see themselves in so that they can begin to dream about how they can contribute to our community. We have some of the most diverse schools in the state--by race, class, place of origin, etc.--that really make us a unique community. But if our kids are a reflection of our future, we have to ensure we are making the right investments so they are ready to lead. My concern is that we can be myopic at times and focus on the now instead of making the leadership and educational investments necessary that will bear fruit for everyone down the road.
What is your vision for education equity in Alamance County?
My vision is that every child and family, regardless of neighborhood, has the same shot in life. That means meeting students where they are and providing the resources they need to be successful, from cradle to career. If I close my eyes as I think about this question, success looks like every child at high school graduation smiling as they turn their tassels at graduation because the K-12 system did its job and produced critical thinkers that have all created plans after high school (2-year, 4-year, vocational training) and are ready to tackle it so they can contribute and serve their community.
Why did you decide to partner with Alamance Achieves on the Community Voice Project?
Lifting up the community's needs, concerns, and dreams is so important to LatinxEd--it is at the heart of what we do as an organization. After a while, as you do some of this work in the community, you begin to see the "typical suspects" at meetings, events, and formal engagements. But from my personal life and work in the community, I I know community gets together and discusses things happening in their lives in different ways and are invested in their neighborhood and school. Most importantly, they care deeply about their children's future. So what is the disconnect? For me, CVP is part of the journey of meeting folks where they are, finding out the answer to that question and beginning to create solutions for bridging the many conversations that are already happening in the community.
What is something you learned through your work with the Implementation Team that surprised / stuck with you?
The talent and thoughtfulness of the staff is beyond measure. The secret sauce to their work really is their emotional intelligence. Whether it is in a team meeting or out in the community, this team gets it and is focused on the goal: improving educational and life outcomes for all of our kids. Alamance is lucky to have such a dedicated team tackling challenges issues in education and building a community willing to solve them.
