Ricardo Jaramillo, president of the Roosevelt Institute and Ferris stan, imparts some valuable wisdom.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Ricardo Jaramillo, Columbia College, History Major, Dallas TX (hook ‘em horns!)

Claim to fame: one of those ‘always in Butler’ people, spent a year in Paris and will find ways to bring it up, president of the Roosevelt Institute (which means I’ve likely bored you with a niche discussion about something policy related), die-hard Ferris stan

Where are you going?: Washington, D.C.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2023?

Before I say anything else I don’t know who needs to hear this but GO TO SLEEP! The reading isn’t worth it, I promise!

I think a lot of the themes for this question are frequently mentioned but very true: spend more time in the city, go to office hours, be nicer to people, don’t be afraid to fail etc. So here’s my attempt to say something more original?

1. Ask not what Columbia can do for you, ask what you can do for Columbia. Participate through civic engagement to make this institution better.  Run for CCSC. Apply to join an (obscure) faculty committee on instruction. Shameless self-plug: join one of Roosevelt’s campaigns such as our campaign to create an Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing at Barnard. It’s not necessarily about being ‘political’ or ‘activist’ – it’s about embracing a civic duty to make this community a more democratic and better place. Most of the conveniences or perks that we enjoy as students currently are there because the previous students did the hard work for years of meeting with administrators and gathering support. Engaging in some way to make this institution a better place is not just about improving your experience but about helping future Columbia students have a better experience here too.
2. Develop empathy, humility, and resilience. So much of Columbia encourages people to be self-obsessed. My advice here is: not everything is about you. It’s really not. You can’t let everything that’s going on in the world – or even on campus – affect you personally. It’s just too much to handle! The world is not you, you are not the world. Once begin to understand this division you grow stronger and more resilient to the challenges you’ll face. Learn to accept responsibility for when things go wrong. Focus on being there for your friends and try to be the person that brings warmth and support to the lives of others.
3. Study abroad and learn a new language! Ok, maybe this one isn’t original, but it’s true! Push yourself to learn a new language, and then go study abroad in a country that speaks it. Preferably for a year if you can (yes – a full year!). At the risk of sounding like an Instagram caption or a brochure, being in a different country and doing the whole immersion thing changes you as a person in ways that you’ll never expect but always appreciate.

“Back in my day…”  there was cannon’s! JJ’s wasn’t 24 hours! Koronet’s was way grimier! Artopolis had the best bottomless brunch deal in Morningside Heights!

Favorite Columbia controversy? The yearly CCSC elections drama is always riveting

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: One time I asked the president of Colombia (yes Colombia the country not prezbo) a question during the World Leaders Forum and I think I had adrenaline coursing through my veins for days.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? History of the Self with Mark Lilla. It’s a challenging class but it’s so worth it. Also there aren’t many seminars that focus on teaching you how to read – a kind of ‘back to the basics’ approach that will be very useful for anything else you do at Columbia.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Bye bye cheese!!!

Whom would you like to thank? My parents – for everything. All my friends who’ve been there for me at my worst and celebrated with me at my best. The day 1 squad.  My Roosevelt fam, especially Sarah for being the best veep I could ever ask for. My suitemates. The friends I met while I was abroad. The professors who’ve mentored and encouraged me.

One thing to do before graduating: Dog sit at someone’s apartment in Brooklyn with friends!

Any regrets? None! Everything happens for a reason and you just have to learn to respect the decisions you make.