Richard Koenig

At first glance, Richard Koenig, a first year Cell Biology major, seems like a normal Aggie. However, when he speaks the most careful listeners can hear the faintest hint of an accent.  This Peruvian prince was born and raised in Lima, the capital of Peru, on the banks of the Pacific Ocean. Rather then playing little league baseball, he spent his childhood surfing the Peruvian coast; his sun streaked hair and fading tan are proof of his adventures.

Since he attended Franklin D. Roosevelt, an international school in Lima, Richie learned English from a young age and was exposed to students from all over the world. He studied among Peru’s most elite society, with students whose parents worked in the embassy and owned much of Peru’s large buinesses. The prestigious American school prepares their students for school in the states. It seems that the school went above and beyond merely meeting standards, since most of the students went on to some of the most distinguished universities in the world, including Harvard, Columbia, and Cornell.  

“My friends went to colleges all over the world. Their parents sent them to Roosevelt in order for them to reach the top schools with the best educations,” said Richie.

However, after graduating early from his high school due to extra credits,

Richie did not apply to schools in America but instead decided to attend the top medical school in Lima, Universidad San Martin de Porres. It took Richie one semester to realize he wanted to experience four years of college in the United States before beginning medical school.  
Richie explained his decision by stating: “I wanted to live a little before I began studying to be a pediatrician. UC Davis seemed like a perfect opportunity to experience the United States and study at an incredible university at the same time. Everyone at my school had heard about Davis and knows that it is one of the top 50 universities in the world.”

Through his research of various colleges, he learned about Davis’ upstanding reputation in the sciences. This fact coupled with the beautiful California climate caused Richie to apply to our fabulous school. Following his acceptance,  Richie decided to leave medical school and become an Aggie.

Before attending Davis, The Franklin D. Roosevelt School allowed Richie to explore incredible opportunities such as Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity that provides reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities. Richie then created a fundraising club at his school that supported Operation Smile, but he still wanted to do more to help the cause.  

He felt that, “being president of the Operation Smile club wasn’t satisfying enough for me. I wanted to do something else for people who can not help themselves.”

Richie proceeded to call the president of Peru’s chapter of Operation Smile and ask if there was anything else he could do. Due to his leadership position in the Operation Smile Club and his drive to study in the medical field, the President of Operation Smile allowed him to join national missions across South America to help children in need.

As the youngest person to attend a national mission, Richie began to travel with Operation Smile during his sophomore year of high school.  His first trip was across the Peruvian Amazon, where he spent a week traveling the jungle and helping children with cleft lips and cleft palates. During his time there, he watched countless surgeries, made beds for the children, recorded their medical history, and became hooked on helping others less fortunate then himself. Volunteering with some of the top doctors in the world, Richie decided to attend mission after mission including trips in Piura, the northern desert of Peru, and Cuzco, located in the Andes Mountains.

Richie plans to create an Operation Smile club on campus and recruit our very own Davis students for national missions. Who wouldn’t want to accompany our very own Peruvian Prince across the Amazon? Apart from being an international, inspirational, cultured Aggie, Richie loves Davis and could not imagine choosing anywhere else to spend his four “American” college years.