Meet Ritchie Tuazon, an esteemed fixed income portfolio manager with a profound commitment to philanthropy. Born to Filipino immigrants, Ritchie's journey is marked by a dedication to supporting education and underprivileged students. Advocating for meaningful connections and aligning passion with career paths, he exemplifies the spirit of giving in both his professional and community endeavors. In his spare time, Ritchie enjoys golf and rooting on his Major League Pickle Ball Team, California BLQK Bears!
Read his story.
What drives you to give back?
It’s kind of wild how much luck determines what we have and don’t have in life.
My story really starts with my parents' decision to emigrate from the Philippines, with basically nothing. They met in Canada, where I was born, and moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s. The ball could have bounced many different ways, but as luck would have it, I was able to receive financial aid to attend Loyola High School, which opened many doors for me both personally and professionally. I was also very lucky in that my father started a charity to give to Filipino orphanages when I was a teenager. He instilled in me early the importance of giving back.
What drives me to give back is the understanding that I’m insanely lucky, and my path could have easily been different if the good folks at Loyola High hadn’t taken a chance on me. It seems like common sense that I have an obligation to “pay it forward” with the next generation of underprivileged students.
If you had a million dollars to contribute to a cause, where would you choose to donate?
Definitely the intersection of education and helping the underprivileged.
I’ve established a scholarship at Loyola High School for this reason. I also support @thrivescholars, which provides high-achieving students of color from economically under-resourced communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in their careers.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
The primary goal as a young person shouldn’t really be about going to the best school, or getting the best job out of school. It should be about finding the best people to surround yourself with, and choosing the career path that best aligns with your passion.
Talking to people to explore different career paths is time better spent, in my opinion, than the marginal amount of studying for a test that improves your grade from an A- to an A. The odds that you do well in your career are somewhat commensurate with how much you love your career.
Share one teaching strategy that worked.
I’ve found that socializing ideas and concepts, and encouraging others to speak and write what they think, is a good way to assure that material or ideas are comprehended
What is the most meaningful part of your job?
My job entails investing mutual fund money. So the better I do at my job, the more money people have for retirement. I take a lot of pride in trying to improve people’s lives through successful investing. What also helps is that my employer is really good about encouraging a work/life balance, which allows me to spend good time with my family and pursue activities that allow me to give back.
1000 Spotlights: Why We Give reflects our mission of giving back, to mentor and to inspire those around us. Through a series of interview questions, we explore intrinsic motivations behind why we give, and talk with those inclined to make a difference in the lives of others. If you are involved in charitable activities, volunteer and paid academic engagements or in community service, we want to talk to you.
This magazine is committed to featuring individuals who are making a positive impact, without any pay-to-play agenda. Write to us to nominate someone exceptional who is making a difference in extraordinary ways.
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