RICARDO ZAMARRIPA

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida
School: Florida State University
Major: Social Sciences
Placement: The Office of Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

Originally born in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Ricardo and his family immigrated to the United States when he was only 1 year old. He has since been raised in Sarasota, Florida. As the first person in his family to attend a university, Ricardo recognizes the value of pursuing an education and the difference it can make for marginalized families.

Currently a Senior at Florida State University, he is majoring in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences with a concentration in Public Policy and Risk Management. His undergraduate research includes tracking Chinese Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) to the Caribbean and Central and South America, as well as, evaluating the impact granting undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses has on insurance.

His interest in health and housing policy led him to intern at the Florida House of Representatives during his sophomore year.  At school, Ricardo has participated as a member of the Reverb a Capella Group, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), the Social Science Scholars Program and served as the Vice President of Recruitment for Gamma Iota Sigma, a collegiate risk management fraternity.

Upon graduation, Ricardo will begin working full-time in the specialty insurance field. After, he hopes to attend law school and specialize in insurance and international finance.

As a CHCI Intern, Ricardo hopes to gain legislative insight on healthcare and migration policy. He hopes this experience will enable him with the skills to make a difference in his community. His goal is to one day return as a legislator himself.