Ricky Belizaire is passionate about supporting students’ well-being. Committed to helping others be successful, his ethos centers around belief, inclusion and empathy. Ricky has experience working with students from many different backgrounds and communities – including first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, BiPOC students, and transfer students – while recognizing the many intersections folks often occupy. Prior to Yale, Ricky spent two years at the University of Georgia working in the Division of Student Affairs’ LGBT Resource Center building out wellness programs, educational trainings, and connecting students to resources on campus and the local community. During his time there, Ricky worked 1:1 with students dealing with identity development, trauma, and academic and societal pressures, and identified adequate ways for them to receive care. At the beginning of COVID-19, Ricky implemented a bi-weekly program called Q-mmunity Wednesdays, which focused on holistic wellness to support students virtually in their remote environments. Ricky earned his Master’s in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia, and his Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he was a Resident Advisor for three years and interned in the office of the Dean of Students. Ricky currently resides in Stratford, CT with his family, and in his spare time enjoys cooking, dancing, and traveling.