When you think of the words “dedicated” and “ambitious,” the first name that should come to your mind is most definitely Richie Hernandez. As a sophomore pre-law student double majoring in philosophy and political science, Richie is the prime example of a Jayhawk that goes above and beyond to achieve the goals he sets for himself. Originating from Kansas City’s own Wyandotte County, Richie always had his sights set on KU. When asked what made him choose The University of Kansas, he replied, “There really just wasn’t another option for me. I’m a Jayhawk through and through, and I’ve known it since the second I even thought about college. KU just struck me immediately as the place to be, so here I am. You just can’t compete with the incredible traditions and togetherness of the Jayhawks. Not a day in my life have I ever felt more at home.”
On top of his studies, Richie is extremely involved with campus housing. He currently works as a desk assistant in Lewis Hall and spent the entire summer as a student intern for the KU Housing Department. Richie is also serving as student senator for the Association of University Residence Halls, which has opened him up to numerous opportunities within the housing department at KU, such as helping plan the Rock’a’Hawk event during Hawk Week on campus and awarding him a voice in student senate. Last year, Richie even won an award for Lewis/Templin Hall Government member of the year.
But wait, that’s not all Richie does! He is also an active member of the Dole Institute of Politics, College Independence, College Republicans, the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta and last year served as a member of the Marching Jayhawks. It’s astounding that he can find time to sleep while being so involved. When asked how on earth he manages his time with all these commitments, he responded, “Ha! Good Question. I ask myself that every day. I set a lot of reminders. I have them on my phone, my laptop and even written in my journal. It keeps me on top of my studies and makes it impossible for me to procrastinate this way. I have to keep myself motivated.” Well, from the looks of it, Richie’s doing a pretty fantastic job of setting an example as our Her Campus KU Celebrity!
When asked how exactly Richie became so involved with housing specifically, he replied, “Well, living in the dorms last year is definitely what pushed me in the direction. I served on the Lewis and Templin Student Hall Government board as secretary, which is what opened me up to AURH. I just loved being involved with all the activities and the planning, so I knew I had to pursue it. We had an incredible group of board members in Hall Government, and planning the events were so fun. I loved bringing Lewis and Templin together, like they should be. I would definitely say that Hall Government is what pushed me to pursue AURH, which I couldn’t be happier doing.”
With all this involvement and school work, there must be someone Richie looks up to as a role model. When asked if this was the case, Richie responded, “Of course, and that person is Jacque McKenna, the assistant associate director of housing. She is just such a fountain of knowledge, and is always so helpful with whatever I come to her with. She and the housing department in all have opened me up to so many incredible networking opportunities for my future here at KU and beyond, and I just can’t thank her enough for that. Not to mention she is always a fun person to talk to.”
So, now that we know all about the driven and hardworking side of Richie Hernadez, what are some quirky little traits that make him unique? With a laugh, Richie replied, “Well, though you probably wouldn’t be able to tell, I blow dry my hair every morning. I just have to make sure it looks good. I can’t go outside looking like a hot mess. I also only wear Polo Shirts, like, literally ever. My friends make jokes all the time that I must not own anything else. Honestly, I hardly do own anything else.”
Well, the Polo look great, Richie! Why ruin a good thing by changing it?
All in all, Richie Hernandez is a truly dedicated Jayhawk. He sets such a high bar for other students, but is always so encouraging to get others involved. He strongly encourages freshmen to involve themselves in Student Housing, because clearly it’s worked out so well for him. He’s a true example of what it means to over achieve, and I know for sure that big things will happen for Richie in the future. If only we all could have just half of the drive instilled in Richie!