Sophie Ramirez ’17 recently earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award. Through the program, she will teach English to students in Jordan for ten months beginning in September.
“I am overcome with gratitude as I reflect on the journey that has led me to being awarded the Fulbright grant,” says Ramirez. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the Writing Center, particularly Roy Jo Sartin, who supported me through three rounds of Fulbright applications. Her unwavering encouragement and guidance helped me persevere. I am also grateful for the endless support and love from my friends and family. This Fulbright grant is a meaningful step in my career in international development, and I am thrilled at the prospect of using it to create a positive impact globally.”
Sartin, Writing Center specialist and Fulbright adviser, knows how hard Ramirez has worked both at CC and since. “Sophie is an absolute superstar,” she says.
Ramirez states that, along with her hard work, it’s the people like Sartin and her other mentors along the way that helped her achieve all her successes. And she wants to give back. “Growing up as the child of a migrant mother, I have always felt a strong sense of responsibility to use my education and experiences to help others,” says Ramirez. “This is why I applied for the Fulbright program in Jordan, where I hope to continue my journey of mentorship and personal development. As someone who has faced many challenges in pursuit of my own education, I believe that I have a unique perspective that will allow me to connect with and empower students in Jordan.”
After graduating from CC with a B.A. in biochemistry, Ramirez earned a master's degree in molecular chemistry from the Sorbonne in Paris, led youth development programs with the Peace Corps in Morocco, and currently works for an international architecture firm in Mexico. Her experience working with the Peace Corps solidified Ramirez’s passion for mentoring and teaching, and her travels across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa developed her love and appreciation for the cultures and traditions in this region.
“The bonds I formed with people and the experiences I shared with them made me passionate about bridging cultural divides and promoting understanding between people from different backgrounds,” says Ramirez, who added that she hopes to not only teach during her time in Jordan, but to also learn from her students and the local community.
Ramirez, who minored in music and French language, has taken Arabic lessons since she was at CC. She is at an intermediate level of Modern Standard Arabic and an advanced level of Moroccan Arabic.
Fulbright’s English Teaching Assistant programs place awardees in classrooms across the world to help local instructors teach students English.