RYAN RODRÍGUEZ

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
School: Florida International University
Major: International Relations
Placement: The Office of Rep. Jan Schakowsky

Ryan Rodríguez was born in Chicago, IL. From long train rides to school to spending hours in the kitchen and on the dancefloor learning about his Puerto Rican roots, Ryan credits his aspirations and deep commitment to his culture to growing up in such a powerful and resilient city.

Ryan is currently a junior at Florida International University, where he studies International Relations and Portuguese. During his time at FIU, Ryan has competed with FIU’s top-ranked Model United Nations Team, facilitated a campus culture of pride as a part of the LGBTQ+ mentoring program, as well as studied abroad in China through the Honors College. Ryan also has significant international work experience interning with IsraAID where he spent an entire summer leading disaster risk reduction and psycho-social aid projects in Guatemala. Ryan has also been recognized as a National Puerto Rican Day Parade Scholar for the past three years in a row. While Ryan hopes to use his intersectional experiences to pursue a career in diplomacy, his long-term career and personal goals include developing a social enterprise and owning his own business.

As a CHCI Intern, Ryan hopes to build connections between his international experiences and expand his knowledge of domestic policy-making. He hopes to be able to use this experience to continue to honor his community, facilitate sustainable change, and support the next generation of Latinx leaders.