Childhood in the Bronx: Lessons from the streets

From the Bronx to Success: A Journey Begins 0:00 I grew up in one of the most poorest neighborhoods in the country in the South Bronx. And I actually competed in a lot of mock trials. 0:06 As a high school kid, I actually took second in one year and first in the following year. 0:11 There's a lot of really interesting distinguished people that hold very high titles today that I look back and a Supreme Court judge today. 0:20 That was one of my mentors. That was one of my coaches. You mean the United States Supreme Court judge? 0:26 Yes, that lady right there was teaching young black and brown kids on how to talk and defend themselves and knowledge of law and coaching them through mock trials. 0:38 Yes, that's what that lady used to do in her spare time. 0:54 Hello and welcome to the Degrees of Success podcast. I'm your host, Freda Richards. And today we have an incredible guest. 1:01 He hails from the Bronx in New York City. He's a University of Phoenix alum, two times. 1:07 He's an Army vet and he's currently the vice president of Citigroup. 1:12 Help me welcome, Cesar Ramirez. Thank you so much for joining us. We're so excited to learn more about your story. 1:20 It's my pleasure to be here. I'm excited. I'm looking forward to having some fun. For sure. That's exactly what this is gonna be. 1:26 A lot of fun. So let's dive directly in and talk about where you came from, what your foundation, what your childhood was like. 1:35 Well, you know, in a lot of places that I go to and I get the opportunity to speak at different venues, I always start off with, I'm just a poor kid from the Bronx. 1:43 oh And literally, I'm just a poor kid from the Bronx. You know, I grew up in one of the most poorest neighborhoods in the country oh in the South Bronx, it's called Morrisania Air Rights I grew up in the projects oh and I went to 1:59 public school all my life. And I lived in an environment where your block, your neighborhood was your home base. 2:06 So it's like anything that was crazy that was going on outside of your neighborhood, as long as you could get back to your neighborhood, you were safe. 2:15 So I got to see a lot of things here, a lot of things, but knowing that that journey between my home, school, or, you know, to the supermarket or whatever, as long as we got 2:27 back to our neighborhood, we were safe. So. It was a tough neighborhood. was a very tough time. As you could probably tell from the grades, I could date myself going back to the seventies. 2:39 I was born in the seventies and, know, and I was raised in the Bronx, the eighties and nineties and moved to Florida when I, in 1999. 2:50 1999. Okay, so from New York to Florida. And what was that transition like? Overcoming Adversity: The Power of Education 2:56 And why did you move? Ooh, that is a really good question. So first of all, the transition was a culture shock. 3:02 Culture shock, can't express it any more than that. But I moved down because... 3:10 I got really frustrated with where my life was going when I lived in New York. 3:22 College was not a focal point in my neighborhood. 3:29 wasn't, even in how I grew up in my family, most of my family either went straight to oh work right out of high school, 3:43 I have some police officers in family. oh My father was an air conditioning refrigeration engineer. 3:50 So it was straight up blue collar. so the idea of going to college wasn't part of our normal conversation until it was exposed to me through some friends or through some acquaintances. 4:06 oh When I thought that I was able to, I gave it a shot and with very little guidance, you know, went to a school that it was just too expensive. 4:21 oh I was part of a nonprofit agency called Aspira and that was the agency that kind of opened my eyes to the whole world of going to school, going to college. 4:34 That was when I went to this college fair. And the funny thing is that college fair that I went to, I actually had to play hooky in order to get permission. 4:47 Well, I actually didn't get permission to go. When I went to my guidance counselor to say that I want to go to this college fair, I was in my junior year in high school at the time. 4:56 You know, he knew a little bit about my parents and saw that my father went to a high school that was a trade school. 5:06 My father was a And so he says, you know, according to this, we're gonna try to get you into a trade program. 5:17 And so I'm sorry, I just want to clarify. The counselors saw that your father and mother were blue collar workers and decided because of that, you should also go to a trade school. 5:33 Well, I'm sure that there were other factors. I don't know. I didn't have that conversation with him. All I know, I remember speaking to him when I asked him for permission to go to this. 5:42 He says, your father's doing very well. He went to Alfred E. Smith, which is a trade high school, and he's in electricity and air conditioning. 5:52 uh We're gonna find you a program that's really gonna suit you very well. 5:58 so. Basically, I got told no. And he goes, and I have to give priority to other students because there's only X amount of space on the bus or whatever. Defying Expectations: The College Fair Incident 6:09 A lot of excuses, a lot of excuses. And if you know my mom, you can say I'm my mother's child because I didn't accept those excuses. 6:21 You know what? That's fine. Never played hooky before. I was always afraid because I have uncles that are cops. 6:28 oh So I decided that I wasn't going to school and I had to figure out the bus routes and the train routes and how to get to City College where this college fair was and I 6:45 went. But I knew that he was gonna be there with the other students. So the students that were my friends, I just told them, don't let them know that I'm here. 6:56 And I avoided him wherever he, whatever corridor he was at, I avoided him. 7:02 So I spoke to a lot of, and you know, at that point that was already saying, okay, so maybe he saw something in my grades or whatever. 7:10 He didn't think that I was capable. So I stuck to junior colleges and community colleges and I spoke to them and there was a lot of really good schools there as well. 7:20 And I remember passing this one table and 7:26 And I started talking to a borough of Manhattan Community College, the representative. 7:31 So I'm talking to now, and you know, and everything mostly in community college back in those days was all liberal arts, liberal arts or business, right? 7:40 But mostly liberal arts. So I asked questions, they gave me a bag, I took materials and I knew I had to take some tests and, you know, take, you know, the, you know, oh you know, some, some sort of 7:52 college board exam and stuff like that. So. right next to that table, I just kept on walking and this man stopped me and said, you're not gonna ask me about my school? 8:04 And I looked up and I looked down at the placard and I said, I'm sorry, I can't even spell Yale, thinking that my humor would give me an excuse to keep on going. 8:14 oh So the man was oh from my same background, he was Puerto Rican, and then he goes, 8:22 You know, he looked at me, he goes, don't ever say that again. You know, don't think that you could use humor to mask what you're feeling. 8:32 You know, let's, let's talk for a little bit. Cause maybe Yale is not for you, but I can help you. And I said, sure. 8:37 And he asked me, you know, what do you want to do? What do you want to study? said, I, I'm interested in law. 8:44 You know, I have some family that are cops and, you know, my mother says, Don't be a dental assistant when you could be a dentist. 8:52 Don't be a medical assistant you could be a doctor. Don't be a cop when you can be a lawyer or a judge. Mentorship and Guidance: A Turning Point 8:59 So, I have family that were police officers, I says, well, why not be a lawyer? I'm good at arguing. 9:05 I'm good at convincing people of certain things. And my brothers will tell you that because I used to convince them to do all the dirty work while we all got in trouble. 9:15 I was the mastermind. But, you know, and I told him and he was like, you know, it's funny that you you say that you want to be a lawyer. 9:22 And I go, why is that funny? I said, because I'm a lawyer, you know, and I actually clerk for the first Puerto Rican uh judge to be a state Supreme Court judge. 9:35 So I said, that's great. That's wonderful. He goes, how would you like if I brought you to the courthouse and introduced you and maybe he could talk to you a little bit about about about. 9:44 I said, this will be wonderful and that'll be great. And right when he was about to give me the information, I felt his hand on my shoulder and I looked back and it was my guidance counselor. 9:55 He uh said, Mr. Ramirez, tomorrow meet me in the dean's office. uh Because you're not supposed to be here. 10:06 So I was embarrassed, mortified. I didn't even get the contact information to that gentleman that represented the Yale table. 10:17 So I went in, I didn't tell my parents anything. 10:23 I was afraid because my father worked really, really hard and if he had to take a day off to go to school, my father, if he didn't work, he didn't get paid. 10:34 That was just it. It was back then, you know, again, it was a very tough time for our family. 10:40 So I went in and, um, um, and, you know, I was also nervous because I played on the baseball team and I thought I was going to lose my spot or whatever the case may be. 10:50 I'd never got in trouble before, so I didn't know what to expect. So anyway, I went in that morning, um, and, um, I waited in the dean's office, waited, I think it was like 30 minutes. 11:02 Finally, I went in. both the Dean and the guidance counselor was there and they explained that oh the Dean said, you played hooky and you were not given permission to go. 11:15 Do you understand what could have happened to you between the school and the location so you could have gotten hurt? 11:23 We're responsible for you. You did something that you were supposed to do, blah, blah. 11:29 They were all worried about themselves and didn't ask me once. you know, not even the silliest question, what were you doing there? 11:38 You know, like, what do you think I was doing there? So then all of a sudden the phone rings and and then and then he goes, did you did you advise your parents that you were going to be here? 11:52 I said, I said, no, sir. And I was like, well, there's somebody out here that says that they're representing you and your parents. 11:59 So I said. You know, I was nervous. I didn't know. I thought they called my parents and my father was going to walk in pissed off. Building a Future: The Path to Law School 12:08 then this gentleman, he walked in and he goes, I'm representing Cesar Ramirez. 12:14 I'm his attorney. And I was like, like shocked with my eyes like this. I was like, Oh my God, this is about to get really, really serious. 12:22 So he says, so let me get this straight. So he's in trouble because he cut school to go to a 12:31 College Fair. Now let me, and then he said, let me ask you this. 12:37 Why was he not allowed to go to the college fair? You know, and they didn't have a good answer for that. 12:43 He said, because, and then he looked at me he goes, did you ask if you could go? And I said, yes. 12:49 What was their response? His response said that I would be better off in a trade school. And then he didn't know that part. 12:55 And he looked at me he goes, can you repeat that? He said, yes. The guidance counselor said that I should go to a trade school. 13:01 And then he got even more furious. He goes, can you hold on one second? 13:07 And, and can I use that phone? And then he, you went to the desk to use the guidance. 13:13 I mean the, the Dean's phone and he actually called the superintendent and he goes, Hey, can I schedule some time with you to talk to you about one of your schools? 13:23 And then he goes, great, that's fine. And he hung up the phone. He goes, I'll have this conversation with the superintendent tomorrow. 13:29 But he goes, are we done here or is there something else that's gonna happen? 13:35 The Dean says, no, we're done here. But as we walked out, he goes, you know what class you need to go to? 13:42 I go, yes. I go, and then he pauses me in the hallway. He goes, but you did cut school to go to a college fair? 13:52 And I said, yes, I did. I said, but you still cut school, so that has to have consequences. 13:57 And then I go, Okay, he goes, I can either have this conversation with your parents and let them know, or you could talk to your parents and tell them what happened and said that I want you to 14:11 come to the courthouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays every day after school and stay with me for two hours. 14:19 And that's what started our relationship. Oh my goodness, tell me what it felt like to one, to have a great desire to be and do and grow and be more than you've even seen before. 14:35 Like just with inside, just inside of you, within you to desire to be more than you've seen. 14:41 You've seen your uncles and others do things. uh that are not, that are the different than your mother and father, but your mother and father also pushed you and said, do the things, don't be a dentist assistant, be the 14:53 dentist. So that it was ingrained in you from mom and dad from the beginning. Your family has been go-getters from the get. Overcoming Obstacles and Pursuing Dreams 15:02 Then you decide, you've asked, you've done everything you were supposed to do with your counselor. He dismisses your ask because of his assumption on what it is that you're capable of based off of 15:13 his own opinion and possibly something random in your file. And then you decide, no, I wanna go. 15:21 You make your way there and then are still reprimanded for ditching school, not to do something like hang out with your friends or anything that others would do when in 15:33 ditching school. Not that I would know, cause I've only done it a few times, but you went to a... 15:40 And you actually went to a career fair and then in doing so ran into a Puerto Rican lawyer, which is what you aspire to be. 15:52 Tell me what it looked, what that feeling was when you recognized that this person doesn't just represent the career that I want, but he also represents my culture, my family. 16:03 He looks like me. Right. Or it possibly being attainable. 16:09 And don't get me wrong, even in our culture, you always meet people that are very successful. 16:20 But when I got to sit down with him, very first day sitting down with him, he goes, I want to tell you a little bit about me. 16:29 And then when he told me his story about how he was a poor kid who grew up in Spanish Harlem and 16:38 and he didn't have the benefits that his parents had. And it was because he did one good score on one test that gave him a scholarship to a preparatory school where he went to a private preparatory school for middle school and 16:55 high school, but that it was on a scholarship that somebody felt him worthy enough to get. 17:02 He goes, those scholarships are rare. So you don't have that scholarship. 17:09 but you got the next best thing. And I go, what was that? He goes, you got me. 17:16 And ever since then, he became like that person that I want. 17:23 And mind you, he was a clerk at the time. And when, when, when mayor Dinkins won his election and he was in the process of appointing judges, he appointed him as a judge. 17:37 And, and when, when he went to get sworn in, 17:46 Mayor Dinkins asked him, you want me to introduce you and hold the Bible? 17:55 He goes, no, sir, with all due respect, I have somebody already in mind. And it turned out that I was the guy that helped push him into being that extra, not be a clerk, but to go in to be a judge. 18:08 And he asked me, and then it's funny because, Mayor Dinkins ended up introducing me as the future mayor of New York, of all things. 18:17 oh But it just so happened that I uh just a profound effect on him as he did on me. 18:28 We became almost like brothers, like the big brother I never had that introduced me to a whole world of academia or professional people that have achieved things that 18:41 that is not impossible. And there's always obstacles that are always put in front of you. 18:47 if something as easy as getting there as a straight line, then everybody would have it. 18:55 Life is full of obstacles. And if you give up once you get in front of one obstacle, then that means you didn't have that support system because we all need that support system. 19:08 So I had that support system and every time something came in front of me, which was an obstacle, and trust me, my academic career was long and painful, you know, but I knew that 19:20 there was a light at the end of the tunnel. And when I finally got there and I walked down that aisle and I got my degree, all of those people that I met that gave me a chance, uh you know, was there to congratulate me. 19:34 They get there about time, you know, I got all of that, but they realized that they knew that it was inevitable. 19:47 sometimes it's not even about the degree that you get. It's a nice decoration on my wall, but it's about your journey and getting there and the character that it helps build. The Journey to Academic Success 20:02 and that journey to get there. And honestly, I have a lot of friends that went the traditional route, but I think that my experience and I probably would have never made it to this point if Phoenix didn't present 20:18 that particular opportunity that was in line with my situation and my lifestyle, because I was always working. 20:27 was always... you know, helping the house and helping my parents and helping my brothers and helping the family. 20:33 I, you know, finding the right time to go to school was always, always a challenge. 20:40 But going back to your original question about the whole transition from when I was a kid, you know, to moving down to Florida and, and, and having that type of exposure and that 20:52 support. I met with one challenge after another, after another, where you thought, you know what, this is it. 20:59 You know what, let me just wake up, go to work, and just be happy. But I was never really happy until I achieved that ultimate goal and be that first person in my family to get a degree. 21:09 And that's what I was. I'm the first person in my family to get a degree. 21:17 What does that mean to you to be the first one in your family to get a degree? Because I know that you were earlier speaking about your father and just like what an inspiration he was to you. 21:29 And I know that he recently passed and I condolences. 21:34 Tell me what does that mean to you and your family and just your legacy that you've created thus far? 21:43 Well, in very simple terms, what it means, it's exactly that. It's a legacy where I can say, people, people, if I can do it, you can do it. 21:56 You know, I mean, there's also many excuses you can make on why you shouldn't do it, and none of it are good excuses. 22:08 None, not one. It ain't about money. It ain't about, you know, because you could sacrifice. 22:15 There's all kinds of sacrifices that could be made to get it, get you to where you want to be. 22:20 And if I could do it with all of the challenges that were presented in front of me. And let me tell you, I'm not going to say it was easy, you know, because my first experience with college was back in 1992 and I didn't get my degree to 2008, you know, 22:37 because I was never in the right place at the right time where I can focus. 22:44 I didn't have the luxury of just going to school and that's it. had to work. 22:50 I had responsibilities. And if I'm not going to get a B or an A, I'm not going to fail out and lose money. 22:58 So it's like, I'd rather not do it if the path is only going to lead me to a failure. So I kept putting excuses in front of me why, and it's... 23:08 It's really interesting. My epiphany that there was a whole world out there for me came from an experience from a college fair. 23:18 And then everything between that moment and to when I enrolled into University of Phoenix was a secondary experience at another education fair where I got to meet one of your 23:34 colleagues, a representative for University of Phoenix, at a fair where I just told, you know, and they were in the lunchroom of where I was working. 23:42 And, you know, and that's the perfect place to be, right? Cause you grab your lunch, you sit down and they come up to you and says, Hey, have you thought about, you know, getting your degree or do you have a degree? 23:53 you, we offer graduate degrees? I said, no, I don't have a degree. And then they said, I said, look, I don't have time. 23:59 I tried this before. I literally said it. I've tried it before. I don't have time and I just became a dad and all this other stuff. 24:07 There's like, give me a chance to explain it to you and walk you through it. I know I could tell you it's not gonna be easy, but it's very doable. 24:16 And through that experience, through another college fair, I found my light at the end of the tunnel and I was able to get my degree. 24:25 And honestly, I was stuck in a position where it seemed like I couldn't go any further. 24:32 unless I had some sort of academic credentials. Because I was in finance, it was in a corporate environment. 24:38 You know, it was really hard to move around if you didn't have a degree. But that college fair, which that particular employer, which is the same employer, ironically, that I'm with now, with that, I was with this company 10 years, left for 10 24:55 years and came back. Other crazy story in itself, but, but 25:01 It was another career fair that I was exposed to that gave me the opportunity to achieve a dream when I thought that I was already needed to stop dreaming and just accept things 25:17 for what they are. I think that it seems surreal that your very first career fair or academic fair, you broke all the rules, which you wouldn't necessarily usually do to get there and then had this 25:37 incredible experience where you met someone that continued to be like a mentor to you throughout your life. 25:44 And then you're at a job So you're with Citigroup at the time and you are middle management or where were you at the time in the company? 25:59 I was an hourly employee, put it that way. I was getting paid by the hour. Okay, so you're with City and you're getting paid by the hour. 26:07 And so you're in the lunchroom and this time the fare came to you. Finding Opportunities in Unexpected Places 26:13 Right. And University of Phoenix is there and you almost do the exact same thing. 26:20 They're like, hey, here's this opportunity. And you're like, I can't do it. I've got, I got a baby on the way. 26:25 I know, or you just became a father. It's not time. This time you didn't say that you didn't, you, don't know how to spell University of Phoenix, but you did say that this is not for me right now. 26:36 It's not going to fit. I'm too busy. And because that person knew our product and 26:43 why it's beneficial to working adults. They explained that to you and you took that chance. 26:49 I did, I did, and one of the selling points actually was, you know, I had a regular nine to five job, and so this presented where you could take one class at a time for a few 27:00 weeks. I think it was like a Tuesday, Thursday, or a Monday, Wednesday. oh It alternates depending on the class that you take. 27:09 And I said, you know what? That could work for me. I could see where there'd be some challenges and some. 27:17 sacrifices and some of the activities that I do after work. I think I could do this. 27:23 So I said, you know what? I gave a lot of things a chance. Let me give this a chance. 27:29 And for every class that I took, it was almost like you didn't even have enough time to either be bored or be frustrated. 27:40 It was like week one, two, three, four, five, boom, get ready for the next one. 27:46 to get that good grade because you know you got only those solid weeks to do the and then you know and honestly you know that B I was like oh gotta be I gotta get a B better than 27:59 that so each class was almost like in competition with each one and honestly before you know it it was like wow I only have eight more classes to go and then before you know it I 28:11 only have four more classes to go before you know it I only have And then before you know it, when you start having to fill out forms so that you can be part of commencement and getting your cap at God, that's when he goes, my God, this is 28:23 like, this is for real. This is, I'm actually done. I'm almost done. Yeah, and when you got that paperwork, you didn't stop because you got the first set of forms to say you can graduate with that bachelor's and said, you know what, I'm going to Inspiration and Legacy 28:36 go ahead and go for that master's. We just want to thank you so much for joining us and bringing energy and life into not only myself, but the people who are listening and watching. 28:48 If they wanted to find you and maybe get some more of this encouragement, where would they be able to do that? 28:54 pretty easy to find. have a public page on Facebook and Instagram. I think that's the best way. 29:01 Perfect. Well, if you're looking for him, you can find him. then whether we see him follow up being a lawyer, a politician, getting his doctorate, or simply who knows what could possibly be next due to the fact that he's unstoppable. 29:19 Thank you so much for joining us and giving us that same inspiration. Who knows, you may be my mentor. 29:24 So. Thank you for joining us. This is the end of this particular episode of Degrees of Success. 29:32 I don't know how we got here so quickly, but we did and we are so happy that you all were able to join us. 29:37 Don't forget to like and subscribe and leave a comment. And remember, your next chapter just might be your best one yet. 29:46 Have a great day.