Cesar Ramirez straddles two continents, several departments at Brandeis
By Steve Anable
Sophomore Cesar Ramirez has been keeping a foot in at least two worlds while studying at Brandeis - in his native Colombia and in New York City. And he's been keeping his options open academically, as well.
Ramirez came to the University after completing an extra year of high school at Phillips Academy, the prestigious Andover, Mass., prep school. He arrived at Brandeis as part of the Posse Program, which recruits student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams at some of the top universities.
"It's a great experience," he says of the Posse Program. "It includes a full-tuition scholarship from Brandeis. Ten people get chosen out of 700. We go through eight months of training in New York City, learning to work together, sharpening our leadership skills, and preparing for college."
Many of Ramirez's Posse colleagues are living near each other in his residence hall or in the general vicinity. "We keep in touch with each other as well as bonding with other people," he says. "I love it."
Ramirez began taking theater courses during his second semester at Brandeis. He had been majoring in economics but recently switched to psychology.
He says the overall Brandeis experience has been a kind of revelation for him, especially his acting class, a setting where "you can let go of your fears and be yourself in front of a whole bunch of people."
Ramirez remembers little of his first three years of life spent in South America, but has returned several times to visit Colombia. While there, he says he has had the somewhat baffling experience of being perceived as "a rich American."
He is at home enough at Brandeis to spend his "free time" here and not in Boston or Cambridge. He is active in Ahora, the student Hispanic organization, and in Culture X, the multicultural arts exposition. "I stay here and socialize. I watch a movie or work out at the gym. I like Brandeis, so there's plenty to do right here," he says.