About Rosa Ramirez
Rosa Ramirez is passionate about telling stories from the communities she covers. And that shows in her work. Before coming to UC Berkeley, she worked as a reporter for various publications across the United States, including Hispanic Link News Service, Birmingham Post-Herald, Rocky Mountain News and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
She has a track record of generating enterprise stories and reporting breaking news that other media organizations have missed.
Rosa has also proactively covered stories of importance to communities of color, including Latinos. Her native Spanish, childhood in Los Angeles, and travels to Morocco, Guatemala, Brazil and Belize to learn about cultures and languages, have given her a boost in writing stories that are informative and sensitive.
Aside from Spanish, Rosa speaks Portuguese and is learning Arabic and American Sign Language.
Education:
- Qalam wa Lawh Center for Arabic Studies
- July 2008 - September 2008
- Intensive Arabic language program (Modern Standard Arabic)
- George Washington University
- Political science degree.
- UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism
- Dual masters program: M.J. with a focus on investigative journalism and New Media, and M.A., Latin American Studies.
Published Stories:
- Keep Failing Schools Open, Parents Say
- Mission Local.org
- Parents, teachers and administrators at some of the Mission District's schools identified as among the state's lowest-performing schools reacted Wednesday with dismay and anger to the prospect of drastic restructuring.
- Summer Classes Slashed at City
- Mission Loc@l
The City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees voted 6-0 last week to adopt a budget that includes the slashing of 85 percent of their summer courses—a first for the college.
- Video: Garage Sale With A Purpose: Education
- Mission Loc@l
It was no ordinary garage sale on Saturday at the Ocean campus of City College of San Francisco, as the school hoped to raise enough money to reinstate one of 800 canceled classes. Each costs $6,000.
- College Cutbacks Hurt Transfer Students
- Mission Loc@l
City College of San Francisco students applying to California’s public universities next fall could be facing an uphill battle. Not only are public universities accepting fewer students—most California State University schools did not admit transfer students for spring 2010—but some schools say popular undergraduate programs are not taking as many new students because of tighter budgets, making admission more competitive.
- Illegal Alien Costume Creates Uproar & Target Pulls It
- Mission Loc@l
An illegal alien Halloween costume sold at Target.com and other major retailers caused an uproar. The alien costume description read, "He didn't just cross a border, he crossed a galaxy!" Immigrant advocates say the costume poked fun at a vulnerable community: undocumented immigrants.
- Undocumented Students Learn How to Pay to Study
- Mission Loc@l
A conference to help undocumented students in public colleges and universities under the AB 540 law gathered at San Francisco State University. Undocumented students spoke about the challenges they face and how they can connect with resources, including scholarship-granting organizations, to help them succeed in school.
- Federal Jobs in Demand
- Mission Loc@l
More than a thousand City College of San Francisco students and local residents attended the federal job fair.
- Elderly Students to Lose ESL, Citizenship Classes
- Mission Loc@l
While deep state budget cuts have affected nearly every student population in California’s public schools, the impact on the elderly has received little attention. Yet hundreds are effected — by losing a range of services from citizenship and ESL classes to exercise and theater courses. City College’s Older Adult Program offers some 80 courses in more than 40 sites for people 55 years and older.
- Teachers 4 Social Justice
- Mission Loc@l
Students in urban schools face obstacles including poverty, homelessness, gang activity and immigration raids. The annual conference Teachers 4 Social Justice tries to help teachers help their students.
- City College Helps Census Count Undocumented
- Mission Loc@l
In an effort to count Mission District residents, including undocumented immigrants, the U.S. Census partnered with City College of San Francisco to ensure every resident is tallied. Census officials have said they hired filed workers from within hard-to-count populations.
- Changing the Odds, One Youth at a Time
- Mission Loc@l
The Changing the Odds program, an intensive 10-week training and mentoring program, is designed to help youth coming out of the juvenile justice system turn their lives around. On Sept. 18 the program graduated 12 students. The ceremony was held at the Mission District's Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.
- Education Budget Cuts Shortchange Students
- Mission Loc@l
This year about 800 classes from across the City College of San Francisco system will be canceled — 270 in the fall and as many as 530 in the spring — forcing students to compete for seats and other limited resources. The cuts were made to close the college’s $18 to $20 million budget shortfall.
- Two Dead in Shooting on 24 Street and Potrero Avenue
- Mission Loc@l
In the Mission District’s third homicide this year, two people were killed in a Sunday afternoon shooting at Papa Potrero’s Pizza at 24th Street and Potrero Avenue. San Francisco Police believe the shootings are gang related.
Other Works:
City College trustees have outlined measures to help students tap into financial aid, which they hope will improve graduation and transfer rates of Latino, black, Native American, Filipino and Pacific Islander students. Read more...
City College of San Francisco students rally March 4 to protest cuts to education in California. Read more...
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