Immigrant’s success started with a dream of an education

Suddenly, at age 15, the situation changed. Ramirez’s older sister offered her mother a chance to bring her and her younger sisters to join her in the United States. The dream of education was now possible, but the path wasn’t easy.

The family landed in Bingen, but housing was not readily available or affordable. They were barely making it. Ramirez again needed to work to help her mother pay rent, but she was determined not to let it interfere with school.

She was able to enroll in high school. “I came here in the last month of my freshman year, and I was so excited,” she said. “But there were many barriers, and adapting to the new culture was hard.”

Ramirez didn’t speak English, was lonely, and she didn’t fit in. She didn’t feel like she belonged. She would later learn it is common for immigrants to experience these feelings and suffer from depression and anxiety, just like she did.

“I lost my friends. I lost my house. I lost everything I knew,” Ramirez said. “I came here to start from zero. My health and emotional health were affected.”

Throughout those first years, Ramirez and her family found assistance through the food bank, energy assistance, and domestic violence survivor support programs at WAGAP. She said having access to these resources helped her focus on her goal.

Then, she was invited to attend a Latino leadership conference in her first year of high school. At the conference, she first wrote in a seminar notebook that she wanted to become a counselor or social worker, a dream she still hopes to reach. This was a pivotal moment in her life.

She still struggled with English but says White Salmon Schools had a good ESL program and groups for Latino students.

“My senior year, I had to take extra classes to finish on time,” Ramirez recalls. The school connected her with an organization from Seattle that sent packages in Spanish so she could better understand the course material. She made it through high school and graduated.

Ramirez went on to work for a carpentry company and a local packing house, where she met her future husband, Phillip. They have been together ever since and share three sons, Leonardo, Ezekiel, and Roy.

She shared that she is forever grateful to her husband. She hadn’t realized how much it would mean to become documented. After receiving her Green Card, she felt more protected and empowered to choose her future. It gave her permanent status to live and work in the country.

Now able to apply for better employment opportunities, Ramirez began to follow her dream of helping others. She took computer and business classes. Oregon Human Development Corporation selected her for a work training program to help other Latino people and agricultural workers.

She was first placed with Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) and then hired to help with the energy assistance and weatherization programs.

Still struggling with her childhood traumas, Ramirez found opportunities for healing with The Next Door. She felt supported in its environment. This experience started a new career for her. She has been a Community Health Worker for nine years and advocates for Health Equity.

Ramirez’s strategy for success in life is to deal with barriers head-on. “You might be scared to do something,” she said, “but if you do it, you’ll be stronger and find better opportunities.” Her success came after years of hard work.

With English as her second language, advocating is challenging, but she is passionate about helping others. With the help of an interpreter, she testified at the Legislature in Salem, Oregon’s capitol several years ago for Latino workers. She was terrified but excited to make a difference.

As a Community Health Worker (CHW), Ramirez was invited to serve on the Traditional Health Worker Commission, representing the Latino community. Her goal was to be sure CHWs meet requirements, earn certifications, have up-to-date training, and earn competitive wages while delivering high-quality and culturally competent care.

The CHW certification includes a 90-hour training program. Ramirez is grateful The Next Door administered the training. “The Next Door feels like a sanctuary. I feel safe, they respect who I am, they help me with reports in English, and they support me with a lot of professional development,” she said.

She also participated in DELTA (Developing Equity Leadership through Training & Action). The National Academy of Medicine invited her to travel to Washington, D.C., to advocate for equity with a regional team.

Ramirez’s experience led WAGAP to ask her to join its board in 2021. She wanted to give back to her immediate community, where she has lived since arriving in the U.S. at age 15. She is settled in White Salmon with her husband and three sons. They have worked hard to buy a home and have an opportunity to educate themselves and their children for a brighter future.

“It’s important that we understand belonging to the community takes time and takes work,” Ramirez said. She encourages others to become active, learn about, and use community resources to help them pursue their dreams.

What’s next on her agenda? She hasn’t forgotten about her dream of becoming a counselor or social worker and is considering going back to school. Until then, she’ll keep advocating for the community.