My Citrus Story- Christian Ramirez: Man of the Year, 2010.
As if they are now, and later they shall be.
Because I had a documented learning disability during my early school years, I struggled more with who I was than with my studies. Looking back, I was under motivated, naive, and generally confused. My parents were hard-working but had little formal education, so when I took classes I had no idea of what I was doing. There was no one in my circle of acquaintances to help me find my way so, not surprisingly, I floundered.
The transition from high school to college proved to be difficult because I wasn’t yet ready for college level classes. I placed into a series of basic skills classes in English, math, and reading and I struggled, failing some classes and getting Cs in others. Convinced I was destined to be a failure, I looked for whatever help I could find. Fortunately, some of my professors reached out to me, and through their oversight and mentoring, I started practicing better study techniques that empowered me to overcome my problems. I started excelling in my classes, my GPA shot up, and my confidence soared as I realized that I could succeed. I then got involved in extra-curricular activities, serving as the president of the Rotaract Club and Latinos Unidos Student Association. I was elected senator in the Associated Students of Citrus College student government.
Now, years after feeling as though I would never achieve anything, I have maintained the highest grades, served as the president of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and moved from the literal bottom of the academic world to become one of the best students in math and economics at Citrus. I was selected as a member of the 2010 All-California Academic Team’s First Team. What’s more, I was one of fifty students recognized nationally as a 2010 Coca-Cola Bronze Scholar. I’ve been accepted at UCLA to study mathematics and economics. My greatest achievement was being named Citrus College Man of the Year. It has taken hard work and dedication, but none of what I’ve been able to achieve would have been possible without the incredible support of the Citrus College’s faculty.
I will be ever grateful for how Citrus College changed my life.
Tell us your story at: www.citruscollege.edu/MyCitrusStory