After a decade at U. as student and administrator, Ramirez ’07 to leave West College to attend grad school

When University alumni return to campus for Reunions later this month, Joe Ramirez ’07 will already be here.

“I joke in that Princeton talks a lot about coming back, but I’ve never come back because I haven’t left,” said Ramirez. At the end of the semester, Ramirez will leave the University to attend graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles after spending almost a decade at the University, where he has been a student, an admission officer, a capital-giving officer in the Office of Development and the current program coordinator at the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.

While the position of program coordinator is designed as a short-term position, according to Deputy Dean of Undergraduate Students Thomas Dunne, members of the University community were still taken aback by his departure.

“He’s so part of the place that people were shocked when they heard that he was leaving,” said Dunne, who first met Ramirez when Ramirez visited the ODUS office as a student to seek advice on developing a career path in higher education.

As program coordinator, Ramirez works closely with many student groups and class governments to organize events. He has served as a mentor to student leaders, many of whom commented on his down-to-earth personality.

Brandon Shih ’15, current co-president and former treasurer of the Taiwanese American Students Association, worked closely with Ramirez to organize the annual TASA Night Market.

“I thought it would be really intimidating because I was a freshman and had just graduated from [TASA] Frosh Board two weeks prior to meeting with him,” Shih said. “It could have been really intimidating, but his presence was just so comforting. He’s your mentor, but he’s also your friend.”

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Shih also noted Ramirez’s genuine excitement about everything he does. “I’ve seen him running around at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning … shepherding people on a bus, sprinting across campus to go from one event to the next, and I’ve also seen him at 2:00 in the morning on a Sunday night,” Shih said. “He does everything, he’s everywhere and he really enjoys doing it.”

Dunne said he would not be surprised if Ramirez has done 40 or 50 things that have kept him awake past midnight with work. “[He’s] always eager to chip in. He’s just an ideal colleague that doesn’t get worn down by the tremendous demands of keeping up with a lot of really ambitious students,” Dunne said.

“He’s very selfless, he’s got a great sense of humor and really wants the best for this place,” Dunne added.

Undergraduate Years

One of the defining characteristics of Ramirez is his unwavering Princeton spirit, Will Harrel ’13 said. Harrel met Ramirez as a member of the Student Groups Recognition Committee.

“His Princeton spirit just came right out of him very obviously,” he said. “I have a good deal of orange and black in my wardrobe, [and] he definitely can outdo me.”

For Ramirez, however, Princeton almost didn't happen, as his decision to apply was made at the last-minute urging of a college adviser. It was the only Ivy League school to which he applied.

“Princeton was definitely not on my radar at all,” he said. Neither of his parents attended college, and his matriculation was “definitely a surprise” to his family.

Ramirez described his undergraduate years as “transformational and powerful.”

As an undergraduate, Ramirez majored in anthropology and received certificates in Spanish language and literature and Latin American studies. However, Ramirez pursued a diverse array of academic interests, and cited AST 203: The Universe as one of the best classes he took at Princeton.

“I really grew and took advantage of a lot of opportunities that exist at Princeton and am a much better person because of the Princeton experience,” he said.

Outside the classroom, Ramirez held several campus jobs as part of work-study while remaining heavily involved with cultural groups such as the Chicano Caucus and Ballet Folklorico, a traditional Mexican folk dance group. Ramirez wrote a thesis titled, “Dancing Mexican in New York City: Folklorico’s (In)Formalities.”

“[Ballet Folklorico] was a great outlet for me, not only to be able to dance, but also to connect with my cultural heritage … It was a place where I developed really strong friendships,” he said. He remains involved with Ballet Folklorico and operates the alumni page of the group’s website.

It was through this group that Ramirez met his wife Aimee Contreras ’07, with whom he danced. The pair continued their relationship throughout college and married three years after graduation.

While Ramirez said his undergraduate years were filled with memorable moments — both monumental and small daily interactions — Commencement was one that stood out in memory.

“There was nothing really like walking through FitzRandolph Gate and sharing that with friends and family. I had family attend who had never been to Princeton before,” he said.

From dorm to West College

Ramirez sought a job with the University because he could pursue his interest in higher education while giving back to the University. Upon graduation, he worked for the Admission Office for two years, then the Office of Development for a year, at which time the position of program coordinator at ODUS opened up. Ramirez has since worked at ODUS for three years.

Ramirez explained that his move from student to employee, which he called a “tremendous honor,” provided him with a different perspective on the University than his peers who engage with the University as alumni.

“What’s really cool about working at Princeton is that as a student, you don’t realize how much effort, thought and work is put in by the tremendous faculty and staff here at Princeton, and so you really get to see what it takes for Princeton to be a top-tier great research university that provides a tremendous experience for undergraduates. For that, I’m really thankful that I have been able to work here,” he continued.

Ramirez’s ability to relate to current students based on his own experiences has not gone unnoticed. Shawon Jackson ’15, current USG president, met Ramirez after he was elected class senator as a freshman and noted that “he had a lot of good advice because he was a student here [and] he kind of sees the big picture.”

Aside from interacting with student groups, Ramirez is also involved in organizing ODUS-sponsored initiatives such as Skate Night and Halftime, a three-day retreat for sophomores held during Intersession. Last Sunday, Ramirez helped distribute Lawnparties wristbands to students.

“He’s a very, very funny guy. He’s very approachable, very personable, very down to earth,” Jackson said.

Graduate School and Beyond

While Ramirez’s expertise in education comes from working at the University, he has never had the chance to formally study education.

“Because I believe in education and higher education and always working to advance one’s own knowledge and skills, it’s really important that I live that myself, and part of that includes pursuing advanced degrees,” Ramirez explained.

He will pursue his education goals this fall, as he enters a master’s program in higher education and organizational change at UCLA.

“This is providing me an opportunity not only to advance and pursue higher education, but to really focus on topics of higher education specifically,” Ramirez said. He hopes to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in higher education studies.

“He embodies the very best of Princeton. What it aspires to be is in him, and that is pretty amazing,” Dunne said.

Jack Ching ’13, who first met Ramirez as a sophomore through the Projects Board and the SGRC, said “it’s really clear that he loves Princeton a lot … He’s one of the best people, staff member-wise, I’ve ever worked with.”

“It’s nice that we’re both leaving campus because I would have missed him otherwise,” Ching added.

While Ramirez will be across the country this fall, he said he looks forward to staying involved in the University community as an alumnus and volunteer.

“One never really leaves Princeton,” he noted.