Richard W. Rodriguez
Ryan Barrera, a North Texas alum, is a big booster of Mean Green athletics. How big? He brought Scrappy, the school mascot, along for this photoshoot. That’s serious fandom right there.
However, it was at UNT that Barrera found his purpose in life.
“I was struggling to identify a concentration while pursuing a bachelor's degree and while taking an elective course with Courtney Molchan Banatoski, it lit a spark in me where I felt led to exploring work in the nonprofit sector,” Barrera says.
His career began in earnest at Texas Health Resources Foundation. He arrived there, he says, greener than UNT green. “I believe that they recognized someone eager to learn, demonstrated the aptitude to do the job well, and, most importantly, showed a heart to serve others.
“I thank Susan [Branch] for believing in me and providing opportunities that opened me to the career I have enjoyed — one of her ‘good little eggs!’"
Who would play you in a movie? “I've been told I bear a resemblance to Henry Golding, so I'll go with him.”