I was born and raised in the biggest little city. I have seen Reno grow rapidly, impacting the lives of its residents. Indeed, as the child of Mexican immigrants and as a queer youth who has been housing insecure, I have experienced gentrification and displacement as the city changes. All that said, I love this community. Reno's community has so much potential, and as the Community Engagement Specialist for High Sierra AHEC's DEIA+ department, I am helping to recreate (not integrate) healthcare for BIPOC, queer, and low-income communities so they can participate in all aspects of the world with equity. 

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Although my work with High Sierra AHEC began in June 2023, I have been organizing in the community and working with local non-profit organizations, most notably the Holland Project, since 2018. With my current position as a Community Engagement Specialist, I am continuing my work with various initiatives, coalitions, and organizations on a grassroots basis to help foster cultural humility and an equitable and inclusive healthcare system. Outside of my work with High Sierra AHEC, I am also an artist and co-run a mutual aid initiative called the Reno Community Art Closet. We provide free art supplies to the community, specifically aiming to address disparities in access amongst marginalized populations so that, regardless of circumstances, folx have the means to create!

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I graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2023, and I have a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media and a minor in GRI studies with an emphasis in Latinx Studies.

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Email - ricardo@highsierraahec.org