Joanna Ramirez

Senior Spotlight: Carson High’s Joanna Ramirez - The Secret to High School Success: Tenacity
Posted on 01/05/2023
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The secret to success in high school can be summed up in one word: tenacity. Just ask Joanna Ramirez. Despite many challenges, she has thrived as a student and as a young adult, which is why she is this week’s Senior in the Spotlight.”

Joanna has a 100-watt smile, a positive personality and tons of tenacity that make everything possible for her. Throughout her high school career, Joanna has taken numerous honors classes and was successful in them due to her hard work and a can-do attitude. “As a Latina, it was crazy to see only four other Latinos in honors classes,” she said. “There are a lot of Latinos that want a good education and some of us work really hard to get into honors classes, so it felt amazing to show people what we can do.”

Joanna credits her academic success to teachers who have supported, challenged and inspired her. She said math is her most challenging subject, and she said she is grateful to Leah Hampton and Daphne Abrams for supporting her. “They sat with me numerous times when I asked for help,” Joanna said. “They helped me learn so much that it made me enjoy going to their math classes.” And she is especially thankful for Mitchell Gregovich, a math teacher at Carson Middle School, who helped her through a particularly tough time. “He was like a second dad to me,” she said. “He did not give up on me when I was at my worst. He gave me advice, and I will never forget him.”

Last year, Joanna had to put her tenacity in overdrive when she continued to excel in school even after having a baby. “Being a teen parent is not easy,” she said. “Some people said my life was over when I got pregnant. Actually, my life just started when I gave birth. Being a mom made me stronger and made me want to go forward in life to be better, not just for my daughter, but for myself.”

Not one to sit back and see what happens, Joanna has already taken steps toward life after high school. She was interested in careers in health care and law enforcement and began exploring 911 dispatching as a way to connect her two interests. She quickly learned it was an arduous process to become qualified, but she persevered and was recently hired by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.

“I had to do a lot to be able to get this job,” she said. “It took some time, but it was worth it. I was so excited and nervous when I was told I got the job because it just felt like life became so much more real. I have a career now, and I’m so thankful to have gotten such an amazing opportunity.”

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