On Making Her Dreams a Reality: Raquel Ramirez ‘26GS Shares Her GS Story

Hear firsthand from Ramirez about her long journey to GS, her favorite class, and the power of your GS peers!

Where are you from?:

Arizona (Phoenix, if we are being specific)

What is your (intended) major?:

Psychology & Pre-Med

Tell us about your GS story and the path you took to Columbia:

Attending Columbia had been my dream since I was a little girl. I filled out the application three times over the years—the first time during my senior year of high school. But life had other plans.

I started at community college instead, and my freshman year was everything I'd hoped for. Then, at the beginning of my sophomore year, my brother unexpectedly passed away. Within the same week, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer. After laying my brother to rest, I moved to California to become my grandfather's full-time caregiver. A year later, when he went into remission, I returned to community college, picking up where I'd left off.

One day, while crossing the street to go home, I was hit by a car that ran a red light. I suffered a traumatic brain injury, a broken collarbone, and lacerations all over my body. I couldn't talk. I couldn't walk. I withdrew from classes again and spent six months on bed rest recovering. Columbia felt like one of those childhood dreams I'd have to accept would never come true.

I'd always been a dreamer growing up—something that wasn't exactly celebrated where I came from. But somewhere between the hospital bed and the grief, those dreams had slipped away. Then came one look from my mom that made me realize I still had a chance to make my dream a reality.

At this point in my life, my mom was all I had. She would leave food by my bedside before heading to work each day. Two months into bed rest, she came home and asked if I still remembered my dreams—all the places I'd wanted to travel, all the things I'd wanted to do with my life. She had grown tired of how lifeless I had become, tired of watching her daughter waste away in a bed at such a young age. I told her none of it mattered anymore. I'd spent my whole life getting back up every time life knocked me down, but I was exhausted. I was tired of trying over and over again, only to have something else knock me down. I figured it’d be best if I just stayed down this time. I told her I didn't want to go to college anymore. 

She was crushed. Out of her five kids, I'd always been the only one who wanted to go to college. I'd been a straight-A student since kindergarten, maintaining a good GPA through all the ups and downs of life. My mom had made it to college but never finished. My brother had died in August, just months before he would have graduated in December.

Before all of this, she never would have accepted my decision, but I could tell by the look on her face that she didn't have any more fight left in her. The last thing she said was, “Mija, no matter what we've been through, you have never lost my smile until now.” Tears formed in her eyes, she turned to leave the room. Suddenly, the heart ache that I had since my brother died became unbearable. I wasn't just letting go of my dream. I was letting go of the dream my mother never got to finish and my brother never got to see through.

Before she made it out of the room, I made a deal with her. I would apply to one school. Just one. If I got in, I'd go. If I didn't, she would have to accept my decision to walk away from college.

After a lengthy recovery, I finished my associate's degree and earned my EMT certification before transferring to Columbia GS. 

Why did you apply to GS?:

I didn't know GS existed until Columbia College told me about it. After I applied, they emailed to say that given my time away from school, GS would be a better fit, and asked if I wanted to transfer my application. After reading about GS, I decided it was the place for me. A place where students shared my intellectual ambition and curiosity, but came from vastly different cultures and life paths—each carrying their own remarkable story.

What has been your favorite class at Columbia so far and what do you enjoy / find challenging about it?:

My favorite class was a summer seminar called The Games People Play, which explored strategic decision-making in situations where outcomes depend on multiple people's choices. What I enjoyed most was the professor's teaching style. He was straightforward—a no-nonsense kind of person who'd worked in various professions throughout his life and brought that real-world experience into the classroom. He didn't focus on grades or textbook theories. His goal was simple: teach us not how to make good decisions, but how to make better ones. He'd present real-world scenarios, ask us to develop a strategy, then play devil's advocate to force us to defend and refine our thinking. It challenged me to move beyond theoretical frameworks and consider how decisions actually work in practice.

Tell us about your time outside of the classroom at Columbia! What campus activities are you involved in?:

I am involved with various things on campus outside the classroom. I began as an Orientation Leader and then was a student worker for Reunion weekend, which led to the job I have now in the GS Alumni Office. I help coordinate events, such as Military Ball and Reunion Weekend and from time to time, I will assist other offices in their campus programming. I'm also the founder and president of FLAGS (First Generation and/or Low Income Students at GS), and I serve as Director of Operations on the Women Veterans Columbia University board, where I help bridge the gap between civilian and veteran women in our community. My roles have earned me the Change Agent award for two consecutive years. I also volunteer at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital. 

What advice / words of wisdom would you give to an incoming GS student?:

Advisors are helpful, but other students are definitely your most valuable resource. The thing about surrounding yourself with peers on the same journey is that they can meet you where you are at because they remember what it felt like to be confused or not know the answer to something. They can give you honest advice about managing your course load, finding a good study group, and most importantly, help you navigate all the unwritten expectations. What matters most is that if they don’t have it all figured out, they are willing to figure it out with you.