Profe Ramirez is a beloved, long-time teacher here at LFHS. She teaches both English and Spanish, but simply calling her a teacher does not come remotely close to representing all that she is and embodies.
Ramirez was born in Warwick, a quaint town located in up-state New York. She describes the town as resembling scenes from “old time movies.”
Ramirez grew up within the hills of the Appalachian mountains on a “fantastical” property, complete with beautiful wooden details and a rushing stream just steps from the back door.
She has a total of five siblings, her youngest brother having started kindergarten the same year she started college. Although there is a significant age gap between some siblings, all five still currently reside in Illinois.
The small school Ramirez grew up attending only offered Spanish courses. She admits that if a different language course had been offered, such as French, she would have preferred to take that class. However, she is now abundantly grateful that she learned Spanish, because it led her to where she is today.
Ever since Ramirez was a little girl, she has been fascinated by different cultures and the world surrounding her.
“My favorite magazine growing up was National Geographic,” Ramirez said. All she wanted was to have the opportunity to learn about our diverse world.
Ramirez did not want to be a teacher at first glance. She got her degree in English and Psychology, worked in the sales industry for UPS, and hated it. But during her employment at UPS, she got moved into the training and human resources department, where she discovered her love for teaching. She then got her masters in linguistics, quit her job at UPS, and ventured to Argentina to embark on a new chapter.
She lived in Argentina for a year and a half, teaching English to her residing community. Living in Argentina helped Ramirez improve her Spanish speaking skills immensely, along with teaching her how to appreciate and immerse herself into a brand new culture.
She later moved back to the United States and taught extensive English language courses at a community college, College of Dupage, which is where she met her husband. Her husband planned to come to the United States to study English and promptly return home to Columbia, but he “fell in love” with her and couldn’t bring himself to depart.
Ramirez always wanted to get into public school teaching. She got her Seal of Biliteracy and taught bilingual courses in Chicago middle schools. She then found herself at LFHS. Ramirez teaches Spanish 3 and 4 Honors, along with a Spanish to English integration course: ESL. She says that teaching these very different courses “fills different buckets.”
“Señora Ramirez helped me a lot with my integration here at LFHS and introduced me to a bunch of people. She teaches her students very personally and asks about your life which develops a close relationship,” senior Alex Vilardell said, one of Ramirez’s ELS students. “She’s always willing to help you if you have any kinds of problems personally or in school. She is an awesome teacher and really knows how to teach English to Spanish speakers.”
Ever since marrying her husband, Ramirez has spent nearly every summer in Columbia, with her husband’s tight-night family. Every Sunday, her husband’s family joins together at their family ranch, Castila. 30 to 50 people gather together for a meal; everyone looks forward to this day.
“We are always together, our Sunday brunches are multi-generational. My husband’s eighty year old aunt, the babies, the teenagers, everybody wants to be present and enjoy each other’s company.”
