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20 making a difference: Education

Growing up in barrios — and often with both parents working just to make ends meet — many Latino students soon realize that there may not be a college savings account waiting for them when they graduate from high school.

But Frank Ramirez wants Latino students to know they are not alone and that there is financial aid to help ease the burdening cost of a college education.

Born and raised in east Bakersfield, Ramirez, now a financial aid counselor at California State University, Bakersfield, knows firsthand what it’s like dreaming about going to college and not having enough money to accomplish that goal.

“Financial aid helped me go through college,” said Ramirez, whose parents were not able to afford his higher education.

Fortunately, for the young Ramirez, there were several people at CSUB helping him access financial and educational resources. He graduated from CSUB in 1998 with a B.A. in psychology and is now working on his master’s.

“Coming out to college was hard because I didn’t know what college was about and I was also a first-generation college student,” Ramirez said.

Now, he wants to make sure he gives back to the community and help other Latinos to make it through college.

Ramirez, who has been a financial aid counselor for six years, also does outreach in the community, bringing information about scholarships and government financial aid programs. He offers workshops in English and Spanish for students and parents to make sure they are aware of the available opportunities.

In Kern County only 20 percent of high school students go to college, according to Ramirez.

Out of the 7,000 students enrolled at CSUB, 44 percent are Latinos — 84 percent of those Latinos are currently receiving some kind of financial aid, Ramirez said.

“National statistics show that Latinos don’t get information about financial aid until they are in their junior year, while Caucasians get their information on average in the eighth grade or middle school,” he said.

Ramirez hopes his work provides a positive difference in the lives of Latino students.

“I think I’m making a big difference ... making sure Latinos have the information in English and Spanish, especially in Spanish for the parents because they have an impact on their children’s future,” he added.

But, sometimes his community involvement takes him away from his family — wife, Maria, and their two children, Noah, 5; and Nicholas, 1.

“Through the support of my family is that I’m able to do these things. When I’m not there on the evenings or weekends, they are OK with it because they know I’m trying to make a difference,” Ramirez said.