August 2009
Karina Ramirez, a Scholar at Georgetown University
Karina Ramirez’s parents emigrated from Mexico to the United States knowing that the country would afford them greater opportunities. Yet even they could not have expected the extent to which the move would allow their daughter to excel.
The 2006 graduate of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School said it was her father’s dream to “have his kids graduate from college, any college.” Karina however is prepared to graduate from one of the country’s most prestigious universities, Georgetown University, in the spring of 2010.
Moving onto college was not seamless for Karina, who entered school intending to become a nurse but has since switched to sociology as her major. “The transition into college was definitely rough; my first two years were both very difficult for me. I was in touch with Chicago Scholars’ staff, my mentor, and with other scholars. Together we created a plan of action and now I'm doing very well.”
To others, doing “very well” may seem wildly understated when looking at what Karina has achieved. In three years she has fashioned a niche for herself in which she has been able to make the most of her college experience and is surely no longer just another fish in the stream. Karina founded and serves as the President for a tutoring group called Cristo Rey Tutoring which serves a high school in the DC area, teaches Sunday school at a local Georgetown parish, mentors for both Chicago Scholars and the Georgetown Scholarship Program, all while holding a job as a Spanish interpreter for Georgetown University Hospital.
The impressive resume that Karina has put together in her short college career has garnered her two invitations to the White House. The first was for a lunch after President Bush's summit on faith-based Schools in inner-cities while the second was for the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, when the same President spoke about Karina and living the American Dream. Karina’s recollection of the second experience is simple: “It was amazing.”
While all of her accomplishments are certainly a testament to who she is, Karina attributes her development in large part to Chicago Scholars’ role in her life. “I am eternally grateful to CS. Through the program I made friends, was able to network, but most importantly I was able to see myself as a leader and a possible example for others.”
Karina is far from done and the next step, she envisions, is a career in either education or social work. Chicago Scholars’ involvement in her development is also far from done. “I have already been in touch about my future plans and how the program can help me, especially with resources and through networking,” she said, offering then that “the possibilities are endless!”
If anyone would know, it’s Karina.