CR Alumni Highlight: Emily Ricks

Name: Emily Ricks, CR5

Major: Marketing, Strategic Communication

Graduation Year: 2016

Current Location: PMG Advertising, Fort Worth, TX

Emily spent her time at TCU involved in a variety of organizations - both social and academic. Emily was a member of the Neeley Fellows Program, a Chancellor's Scholar, and actively contributed to her sorority, Chi Omega's, philanthropy team.

Emily spent the summer of 2013 on Cultural Routes 5, and even more daring, she spent CR5 on crutches. She recalls one of the obstacles she faced, which she now describes as one of her favorite memories:

"As much as I was definitely hesitant toward the idea at first, one of my favorite CR memories was when some of my fellow CR5ers took turns carrying me up a massive hill at Neuschwanstein because I was struggling to make the ascent on my crutches. It was a really touching gesture that in one of our first cities on the entire trip, these people would already be willing to do that for me just so I could more easily experience as much as possible. I think this was one of my first glimpses at how my fellow travelers would become my familia. I am so grateful for them."

When asked about what she learned from her CR experience and how it shaped her life today, she responded:

"As fundamental and obvious as it may be, I still think that one of the most valuable lessons I took back from CR5 was the paramount importance of learning about the world around us. This trip was my first foray outside of the US of A and made a profound impact on my worldview as I was surprised to continually find more that made me similar to the other people and places I saw than made me different. This trip definitely satiated some of the longing that I'd had to explore outside of the country, but also left me hungrier than ever (not literally because I ate everything in sight, to be clear) to get out and learn more."