Hometown

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

High School

St. Mary’s Episcopal School

Immediate Plans

To pursue a career in the healthcare startup space while continuing her role as a regional liaison at Hearts for the Homeless International.

Ria earned a BS in psychology. At Carolina, she served as president and vice president of the UNC Hearts for the Homeless chapter, where she helped deliver free blood pressure screenings and medical consultations to housing-insecure individuals across North Carolina. Under her leadership, the chapter earned the national “Chapter of the Year” title. She was also elected to be a liaison for the UVA chapter of Hearts for the Homeless in her regional division. After serving as a teaching assistant for three semesters, Ria served as a student instructor through Honors Carolina, where she developed and taught a course about the portrayal of mental illness in literature. In addition, she served as the student director of the Morehead-Cain Scholar Media Team, creating various content for alumni and scholars alike. Finally, Ria held several research assistant positions in the PEP Lab under the guidance of positive psychology expert Dr. Barbara Frederickson and was named a Zietlow Civic Engagement Ambassador.

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Outdoor Leadership

Outward Bound, Canyoneering, Alpine Backpacking, and Rafting

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Civic Collaboration

City of Asheville Department of Planning and Urban Design, Asheville, North Carolina

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Global Perspective

Learning Spanish in a Medical Context as a Clinical Intern at Clínica Cognitiva, Sevilla, Spain

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Professional Experience

Clinton Health Access Initiative, Washington, D.C.