Katherin Ramirez: Finding Herself at Adelphi

by Kurt Gottschalk

College is always a time of discovery, but Katherin Ramirez’s time at Adelphi has been a series of revelations.

Born in the Bronx (she still makes the long commute to the Garden City campus from New York City’s northernmost borough), Ramirez said she has wanted to go into medicine since she was very young.

“For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a doctor,” she said, adding with a laugh “probably because my parents wanted me to be a doctor.”

But during her freshman year at Adelphi, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Watching the R.N.’s at work ignited an interest in nursing in her. “I’m 100-percent sure those nurses saved my mother’s life,” she said.

Her mother’s illness, however, also put a financial strain on the family and Ramirez almost ended up leaving school. Instead she found a job on campus and, as luck would have it, found herself sharing an office with somebody from the Office of Student Financial Services. Then, she started learning about options to help pay for school.

“College wasn’t even in my plan because my family couldn’t afford it,” the University College student said. “But I started working with the purchasing department and I met up with Linda Lamarsh. She helped me make plans for how I was going to get through the next two and a half years.”

Her time at Adelphi has been busy. Beyond classes and her job, Ramirez has worked as a peer educator since her freshman year. She is a member of Sigma Lambda Upsilon and served as president of the Adelphi chapter of the sorority during the 2013-2014 school year. She’s now the sorority’s vice president and is finishing her final year as a natural sciences major. She plans to apply to the accelerated nursing program and eventually become a nurse administrator.

“I like being involved,” she said. “I’m constantly adding things to my plate. Through my leadership roles I realized that leading is something I enjoy and I’m good at. Long term, I plan on going up the ladder and going into administration.

“I know for a lot of people financial aid can seem like a hassle but for me it’s been great. You forget something’s due, little problems you may run into, there’s always someone there to help. Having that guidance from someone who knew exactly what they were talking about helped me a lot.”