Rita has been the Intake & Referral Counselor at the Rice Counseling Center since 2023. Rita graduated with her Master of Arts in Social Work from the University of Chicago. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. Rita completed her social work internships at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office – Victim-Witness Assistance Unit and at Enlace Chicago. Prior to joining Rice, Rita worked at the University of Houston's Counseling and Psychological Services. In her role as Intake & Referral Counselor, Rita does initial assessments and helps students to find longer term and specialized care in the community. In her spare time, Rita enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her cats, family and friends.