Spring — 2005

Ray Emanuel

Political Science / Economics

“I was a Dale Ride intern last summer in Washington, DC. And, you know, it was a completely life-changing experience.”

Now in his fourth year at SMC, Ray Emanuel had just interviewed with Cornell, Syracuse, and Georgetown. “But I’ve really got my sights on Amherst,” says the past president of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). And if you think four years is a long time to knock around SMC, just consider a few of Ray’s accomplishments.

“When I became president, PTK had 43 members. Now we have 370 members and we’re rated as a five-star chapter. And now I’m regional vice president of the society for all of Nevada and California, and I oversee 24 community colleges,” says the young man who always worked to pay his way. “But I was very fortunate to get elected and be allowed to serve,” he says with genuine humility. “SMC’s always been a leader in academics and transfers. And now we have an Honors Society that truly reflects that.” But it was as a Dale Ride intern that Ray really made his mark—so far—in life. And the experience marked him deeply, as well.

“I actually served in the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, in both the Equal Opportunity and the Diversity Management offices. They’re responsible for the nationwide recruiting of underrepresented minorities,” explains Ray. “These offices hope that college graduates—and interns—will return, armed with their Master’s and PhDs, to work for the NIH as biomedical scientists or nurses.” Ray stays in close touch with the friends he made at Yale and Harvard during his amazing ‘SMC Summer,’ and hopes to practice law in the healthcare advocacy area. “I grew up in a poor family in San Francisco, and I know how hard it is to get healthcare. It’s something that I just feel passionately about.”

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