What Community Outreach Means to Me (2021)
"It takes a village to raise a child." -African Proverb.
I have had a passion for volunteering in my local communities in Massachusetts and Texas for a long time now. This passion comes from my personal experience with community. When I was a child, I fell through the cracks at school, and my home environment was far from healthy. I was expelled from school and then briefly incarcerated as a juvenile offender. I had successfully entered the school-to-prison pipeline, and the currents were swift. I couldn't save myself, but people from my community who saw and believed in me pulled me out. They were my lifeline. This experience instilled within me a deep appreciation for the value of community.
"Can you think of a colour that you've never seen?
Can you reminisce on places you've never been?" - Damian Marley.
For kids, role models paint a picture of their potential future. Scientists, as educators, are at the forefront of possible community role models for the youth, and I accept this responsibility. As a neuroscientist, I have worked to engage in an outreach and advocacy quest that centers around a goal: to increase exposure and awareness of science and scientific careers in the youth, focusing on Hispanic, non-English speaking, and at-risk (detained) youth communities.
”If you can speak, you can influence. If you can influence, you can change lives.” - Robert Brown
Public speaking has proven to be an invaluable tool in pursuing my goal. Through public speaking, I am able to use my history, my experiences, to connect with the audience and leave a lasting impression. Through public speaking, I engage in science-based outreach to increase awareness of STEM careers. In this way, I hope to give back to and improve my community. In the last four years, I have participated in several outreach events with an approximate cumulative audience of 500 students and members of my community.
Looking Towards the Future:
These outreach experiences have changed my life and have impacted my science communication. They have taught me that my story matters and people need to hear it. They have motivated me to continue my career as a research scientist because kids need role models. I am always looking for new outreach opportunites. If you are interested in hosting me for an outreach event, please reach out to me at RRamos@Brandeis.edu or use the contact me page.
