In the second year teaching at Oasis Academy, Jose Ramirez has settled into the classroom through being one of the school’s English Language Learner (ELL) teachers. The Nevada native graduated from Douglas High School with his Advanced High School Diploma in 2019 and graduated from Western Nevada College with his Associate of Arts in June 2021. 

When Ramirez started at Western, his goal was to become an engineer. This changed though once he joined the Latino Cohort/Latino Leadership Academy then led by Lupe Ramirez. As a cohort coach, Ramirez checked in regularly with new freshmen to the program. The individualized attention and mentorship that Ramirez provided for the students made his decision to switch from engineering to education an easy one. 

“The experience with the WNC Latino Cohort, now the Latino Leadership Academy, showed me really how much I appreciated education and that it was a fit for my skills. I love being with the students and helping them learn topics,” Ramirez said.

Because Oasis works so closely with Western Nevada College through the Jump Start Program, Oasis CEO Melissa Mackedon knew she could reach out to the college for a qualified individual when the ELL Teaching job became available.

“Finding an ELL teacher who was representative of the community of students they served was extremely important to our leadership team. There is so much research on the power of representation and we wanted that for our students. We were so grateful when, through WNC, we found Jose. He has been an incredible addition to our team. I sincerely mean that!” Mackedon said.

Ramirez is appreciative of the opportunity he has at Oasis and those of whom helped make it possible.
“I’m extremely grateful for both Mrs. Lupe Ramirez and Mrs. Melissa Mackedon,” Ramirez said. “I could not have asked for a better place to start my education career path. Oasis is a first-class school with not only amazing staff, a wonderful environment, but most importantly the best students.

“Working with the kids, being in the classroom, translating for students and families, are all part of what makes my job and working in education so great. I get to be part of helping students reach their goals through education on a daily basis.” 

Along with his ELL duties, Ramirez is teaching two Spanish classes this semester through Oasis Academy College Prep. “The class will cover the basics of Spanish, with the goal of students knowing vocabulary and being able to have fundamental communication skills. Having a second language will be a huge asset for these students,” Ramirez said. 

Ramirez is continuing his education through Western Governors University while working at Oasis. He plans to graduate with a degree in Secondary Education in Spring 2024.

— Story provided by Angela Viera