Staff: Oliver Ramirez

Oliver Ramirez’s passion for making an impact on youth of marginalized communities started at a young age. Born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico and raised in Roma, TX, a small border town in the Valley, he experienced and witnessed many injustices his community had to face daily. A huge injustice he saw growing up that impacted him deeply was the failing education system. It was through the education system that he encountered the erasure of culture, language, and identity, lack of representation in learning, inadequate resources and opportunities for learning to be equitable, and deficit mindsets towards marginalized members in his community. Oliver became dedicated to empowering, enlightening, and restoring community through relevant, equitable education. He attended Texas State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Bilingual Education. Afterwards, he taught for three years utilizing different educational models in Title 1 schools that all emphasized the value of our community and their funds of knowledge, developing the whole child, the power of play, empowerment, and relevant and culturally appropriate practices when working with children and youth. As a Friend, he will continue to strive to empower and uplift young voices in Austin’s most vulnerable communities.