As a first-generation student, Adan Ramos is hoping his future with Portland State University will make his family proud and set a good example for his younger siblings.
A recent graduate from McMinnville High School, Ramos said he was drawn to PSU because the urban campus offers a new opportunity for him.
“I’ve never lived in the city and I wanted to try it out,” Ramos said.
He’s looking forward to learning in a larger environment, meeting new people and seeing much taller buildings than he did in McMinnville.
“Although my mom is probably more excited than me,” he said of his admission to PSU.
Learning remotely during the pandemic was challenging for Ramos, who doesn’t consider himself to be tech savvy. But looking forward to college, he’s optimistic about applying what he has learned about technology to his coursework. Perhaps the biggest takeaway? Checking email regularly.
“You’ve got to be checking your stuff, the teachers can’t remind you about something because they’re not physically next to you,” he said.
Despite these challenges, Ramos is proud to report he earned the best grades of his academic career last year: a 4.0.
Ramos is uncommitted just yet for his field of study, but leaning toward criminal justice as a way to honor his grandfather. In Mexico, where Ramos’s family is from, his grandfather was the representative of his small county and worked to improve his community despite the corrupt police presence.
“He wants me to add positivity instead of adding negativity, and help people support officers instead of not,” he said. “He passed away in January, but he’s guiding me to this. I want to help out just like him and make him proud.”
A few high school courses in search and rescue and criminology provide a pathway toward his possible future in criminal justice, as does a desire to find a career that allows Ramos to be active in the community and not behind a desk.
“I want to be active and hopefully help a lot of people,” he said.