Ryan Avenido is excited to be a part of the ELMAC leadership team. He will be taking part in ELMAC’s advising efforts. Ryan enjoys being involved in interfaith initiatives. As an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas, Ryan was introduced to the idea of interfaith through the Peace Meals program of the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies. Later on, Ryan was a student representative of the Interfaith Council and also briefly served on  the Hoedeman Gallery of Sacred Art, a gallery that presents art from various religious traditions. Ryan has continued to be involved in interfaith after he graduated from St. Thomas in 2021. During the 2022-2023 period, Ryan was a fellow in the Multifaith Leadership Training Program (conducted by both the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies and the Minnesota Multifaith Network). Outside of interfaith, Ryan is currently pursuing an MPH in Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.