A firm believer in “the city is the classroom,” Juan Roncal ’13 - originally from San Francisco - was enticed by the unique culture and history in Memphis and wanted to experience the city first-hand. Roncal在Rhodes的时候, 他是孟菲斯的扫盲研究员, Pi Kappa Alpha兄弟会主席, 演讲委员会主席, and worked closely with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Mid-South. He positively recalls his classes and professors who helped him to discover “the complexity of [his] own identity” as a biracial, 玻利维亚裔学生. Graduating with a major in English and minor in History, Roncal was called to stay in Memphis to teach and currently instructs at Grace-St. 卢克的圣公会学校.
Volunteering and philanthropy work are second nature for Roncal. While serving on the Rhodes New Alumni Council (NAB), he has had the opportunity to reflect on what makes Rhodes a special place. 他喜欢“思考我们该如何做, as alumni, help ensure the betterment of students in the future.”
Whether it’s reminiscing on campus with his former classmates or saying “hi” to his favorite campus safety officer, the Rhodes mission and values have stayed with him since he left the steps of Fischer Garden, diploma in hand: “Rhodes offers something impactful for students and that deserves to flourish…that’s what inspires me to work every day. It’s about working and promoting missions that I align with and care about and which speak to my values. 正规博彩十大网站排名岛就是其中之一. That’s what keeps me going and encourages me to give back.”
“Rhodes is about, thinking deeply and using that insight; recognizing the complexity of the world to try and make it a little bit better. For me that’s what it means to be a Rhodes alumnus.”