Akil and Hong welcome Diego to the show to learn more about the Life Fitness Center at SBCC. In the process, Diego breaks down his entire path to SBCC in enlightening detail, charting his journey as a young child in Mexico City to where he is today, serving as an esteemed tenure-track member of the Physical Education faculty here at the college. From there, the trio discuss Diego's favorite foods - Pambazos, Mole Verde, and Ensenada style fish tacos specifically - and some of the amazing books, movies, and TV shows that have made a lasting impact on his life. A truly special episode!
Mentioned in this episode:
SBCC Life Fitness Center - https://www.sbcc.edu/physicaleducation/lifefitnesscenter.php
La Playa Stadium - https://www.sbcc.edu/communityservices/laplayastadium.php
Bridge Athletics - https://www.bridgeathletic.com/personal-trainer
FITT Principle - https://www.physio-pedia.com/FITT_Principle
DOMS - https://www.physio-pedia.com/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness_(DOMS)
California College Promise Grant (formerly BOG waiver) -
“Matador” by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPA7CXutDw
DACA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deferred_Action_for_Childhood_Arrivals
Ellen O’Connor - https://sbcc-vaquero-voices.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-17-ellen-oconnor
Canvas - https://www.instructure.com/canvas
Sandrine Rocher-Krul - https://sbcc-vaquero-voices.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-26-sandrine-rocher-krul
CSCS Certification - https://www.nsca.com/certification/cscs/
Cal Baptist Kinesiology M.S. Program - https://calbaptist.edu/online/programs/master-of-science-in-kinesiology/
Devin Engebretsen - https://sbcc-vaquero-voices.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-29-devin-engebretsen
Mexican Independence Day - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_War_of_Independence
Hispanic Heritage Month - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Hispanic_Heritage_Month_(United_States)
Pambazos Recipe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9TKnMEsFbQ
Ensenada Style FIsh Tacos - https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/ensenada-style-fish-tacos-3253750
Fish Taco Cazo - https://www.amazon.com/Mexican-Griddle-Chicharron-Stainless-Carnitas/dp/B076R3S6D4
Gorditas - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024129-gorditas-de-maiz
Tlacoyos - https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-make-tlacoyos-masa-article
Tortas Ahogadas - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022554-torta-ahogada
Mole Verde - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023263-mole-verde
Mole Verde in LA - https://www.ilovemole.com/
It’s All in the Frijoles by Yolanda Nava - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Its-All-In-The-Frijoles/Yolanda-Nava/9780684849003
Nuestra América: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States by Sabrina Vourvoulias - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sabrina-vourvoulias/nuestra-am%C3%A9rica/9780762497485/
Jaime Escalante - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Escalante
Stand and Deliver - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_and_Deliver
Blood In Blood Out - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_In_Blood_Out
Mi Familia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Family_(film)
A Million Miles Away - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Million_Miles_Away_(film)
Cristina - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristina_Saralegui
Don Francisco - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Francisco_(television_host)
El Chavo Del Ocho - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Chavo_del_Ocho
El Chapulín Colorado - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Chapul%C3%ADn_Colorado
Jorge Campos - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Campos
El Pino - https://maps.app.goo.gl/NzsKavKhnSHXzCgL9
Captions provided by Zoom
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Hong Lieu: Hello and welcome to another episode of SBCC Vaquero Voices - a podcast highlighting the unique voices that comprise our campus culture, and how we're all working together to serve our students and the community at large. As usual, I'm joined by Co-Host Akil Hill
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Akil Hill: and today we're honored to welcome Diego Ramirez to the show. Welcome, Diego. Hello! One of you guys want to start is when I'm not just. Thanks for the invite.
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Hong Lieu: Diego is a professor of Physical education and the Director of the Life Fitness Center here at Sbcc. And if if you've been SBCC. For any amount of time you knew Diego before he started as A as Lta right? Your lab tech at the physical life in the center.
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Diego Ramirez: Yeah. It was a lab teaching system for 9 years at the Lfc.
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Hong Lieu: So for folks that don't know you know the life in the center, I mean it. It is open to all you know, students, staff faculty, I mean, anyone that wants to get in can get in and get a workout. But in terms of the day-to-day operations, or what's what's going on there? I mean.
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Diego Ramirez: what? What? What? What is going on? I mean, yeah. Y'all, you all serve athletes, but you all serve the students, faculty and staff the entire campus. Right? So yeah, we we serve all of everyone and anyone who would like to come in and and and get a workout
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Diego Ramirez: the lab. The the finish center are those set up as a
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Diego Ramirez: as a gymnasium or a gym, a workout. Gym, it is a lab. So anybody that's in there is enrolled, and it has to be enrolled in a course
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Diego Ramirez: that utilizes the fitness center so such as the our life in this class, our strength training class or any of these other, we. We serve 5 different courses, this semester
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Diego Ramirez: in the past. We serve upwards of 8 different courses. And so
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Diego Ramirez: anybody that's enrolled. They come in. It's an open entry, which means you come in anytime. We're open.
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Diego Ramirez: and you can do any workout you want, as long as, say, for others and for you and others. and we are there to assist you, and then helping you program. So if you need a a a training program.
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Diego Ramirez: to to set you up on your goals.
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Diego Ramirez: we're there for exercise, technique, exercise instruction
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Diego Ramirez: and overall, you know. Just have a good time. Come in
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Diego Ramirez: get get some, get some steps in, get some cardio in, get some pump. Get your pump on, and then we also serve, of course, the athletics some of the athletic teams. That come in
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Diego Ramirez: particularly the smaller teams, our facilities not as as large as we would like it. And that's why we also have the bull PIN, and that's right next to the track at Laplace Stadium.
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Diego Ramirez: That's where, like our larger teams, utilize to to do weight training.
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Diego Ramirez: But on their days off they do come in and and utilize our facility.
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Diego Ramirez: To, you know, to do some phone rolling, some accessory work, you know. Just, you know.
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Diego Ramirez: get, get, get lifted and and extra extra work, and if they want to.
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Hong Lieu: So I guess the question is in terms of for folks coming in.
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Hong Lieu: because, you know, we do offer. Folks can buy semester, you know, staff and faculty, and folks can buy semester passes to life in the center if they want to set up a meeting with someone like a personal, not not a personal train. I guess a personal trainer. If they wanna set up a meeting guys just like walk in or do they do that, do that, do that in advance, or what's the best way to kind of set that up.
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Diego Ramirez: So, for example, our our faculty and staff, if you're a part of the collective bargaining, bargaining group, such as classified or and or
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Diego Ramirez: faculty or administration.
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Diego Ramirez: you sign up directly on our website. You fill out the A Google form and you pay your if it's during the semester long, it's $40. And if it's during the summer. I believe it's $15,
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Diego Ramirez: and so they do, once that happens cash here takes their takes your money again, thanks to all your questions, is money but they take your money and and then you're you're good to go. You come into the finish center. You fill out a couple of forms, essentially a liability form and release liability and also a a physical activity readiness questionnaire, just to, you know, for us to know.
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Diego Ramirez: You know, if it's safe for you to to exercise with minimal supervision
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Diego Ramirez: and or no supervision.
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Diego Ramirez: And then, once you do that, if you are, if you need like, for example, if you need a we give you a tour, of course, of the facility. But also, if you need assistance with programming a lot of times. What we find in the fitness industry is that folks want to work out.
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Diego Ramirez: Then it's like, what do I do?
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Diego Ramirez: And so we are able to program something for you. We partner up with bridge athletics. I've been using bridge athletics for the last 4 years. 5 years now.
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Diego Ramirez: No, actually 4 years. Yeah.
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Diego Ramirez: 4 years. And it's it's a that's where I program all of my strength and conditioning program meaning for my athletes. But it also gives me an opportunity to program stuff for individual
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Diego Ramirez: workout. So if, for example, somebody needs a program for weight loss for hypertrophy or for endurance, those those type of things. We can actually program it and deliver it to your to an, to the app and to your phone. And it has videos as instructions on how to do it. And then, if you have questions you can actually ask any of us who are in the finish center
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Diego Ramirez: any of the instructors, and we'll be able to help you out, you know. Kinda guide you through your process and and and to whatever it is. Your goals are in the finish center
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Hong Lieu: can't beat that deal. 40 bucks for a semester, 15 bucks for summer, with personal attention, with apps to help kinda set your circuit. I mean.
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Hong Lieu: I yeah, that's the best deal in town.
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Diego Ramirez: And the one thing that II will say is that
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Diego Ramirez: for for faculty and staff it. It's it's the. It's a chance to not have to go somewhere else
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Diego Ramirez: and drive somewhere else, and I know
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Diego Ramirez: a lot of times we are crunched for time.
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Diego Ramirez: I see some of our faculty and staff who who are are part of the pro program.
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Diego Ramirez: They just walked out. Get a quick 1520 min lift.
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Diego Ramirez: and then they're on their way back to the office, or to another meeting.
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Diego Ramirez: or whatever, or call home, and now they don't have to drive somewhere else on top of have coming to work, and then do do do it all over again. So that's that's a convenient seat
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Diego Ramirez: of of of having a gym right at your doorstep.
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Akil Hill: Yup.
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Akil Hill: if I can get over working out next to Hong Man, I'll be up in there.
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Hong Lieu: Oh, I've I've never been good with that kind of thing like like only work. Let me work out with you. I'll spot you or or you know, you switch like the the thing where you switch out between sets. That's okay. But when it's like sending up an advance like, oh, it's gonna work out together. It's like.
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Hong Lieu: okay, like, you know, like, there, it's a me problem definitely me problem. But they're definitely like, yeah, psychological issues of me working out with other people. But I guess along those lines I do wanna ask. Since you are, you know you you're you're
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Hong Lieu: professional in this regard. I mean, you got in terms of folks that haven't worked out in a while.
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Hong Lieu: You know what's what's the best way to kind of get back in that groove and cause you know what happens is you don't work out for a while, then you go work out, and and sometimes you're just sore. But sometimes you've hurt yourself, you know, like, from going too hard, is it? Is it just over exerting stuff that first time back is a big problem, or I mean, what's the best way to kind of segue and just get back into to begin that practice. It's a lifelong kind of practice. It should be something that becomes something part of your normal routine. What's the best way? You haven't worked out in a while to be. Start that routine anew and and get get going again.
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Diego Ramirez: So that's a great question. Ii believe, based on my my experience. And what I, what I've learned throughout the years is that
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Diego Ramirez: a lot of times when we have worked out and then we stop working out, we try to go back to the same level we were when we first left. because that's their most recent memory
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Diego Ramirez: like, Oh, yeah, I used to like, you know, bench 2, 20 and or 2 25, or you know whatever. or I used to run 5 miles, and the last time I ran it was like back in high school or back in you know, college or whatever. Maybe.
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Diego Ramirez: So we try to replicate those memories and and back get back to that level or start at that level. And that is one of the biggest mistakes one could make, because one you can definitely the sternness is will be there.
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Diego Ramirez: The sortness will definitely be there. But also the fact that you have.
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Diego Ramirez: You have this, this over excursion that can lead you to injury.
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Diego Ramirez: And and so
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Diego Ramirez: then you're back to square 0, because now you have to recover. So my, my approach to students and to faculty or staff that have come in
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Diego Ramirez: it's well how many we go based off on the fit principle which stands for free frequency. How often are you gonna come in the intensity.
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Diego Ramirez: the type of exercise, the time that you're gonna spend. And then, lastly, the E, which stands for enjoyment. So something that you're gonna enjoy
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Diego Ramirez: so we start with the F, and usually folks say, well, I want to come in 5 days.
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Diego Ramirez: And I say, Okay, well, when was the last time you worked out? Right? So we kind of
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Diego Ramirez: bring it back to reality right? And it's like
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Diego Ramirez: you want to come in 5 days a week. That's great. That's awesome.
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Diego Ramirez: But what is realistic.
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Akil Hill: what is going to set you up for better success. Success.
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Diego Ramirez: and that usually is like, Well.
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Diego Ramirez: can you come in 3 days a week, and that usually helps out a lot of folks like, yeah, I can get. And then if you come in more than 3, then that's extra.
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Diego Ramirez: But that's usually the F is is critical
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Diego Ramirez: in that regard, and then the intensity. So you know, that is, when we start asking those questions about. when was the last time you worked out consistently for 3 months or longer.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, and then they're like, well, you know, back when I was in college like, how long was college? How long ago was college. And they say.
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Diego Ramirez: Oh, yeah, it was like 10 years ago. It's like, okay.
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Diego Ramirez: any more. Any recent. Why, why, when I walk, that's great. So now we understand a little more.
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Diego Ramirez: And then people can actually come back and say, Okay, the intensity
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Diego Ramirez: I can't run at 5 miles an hour at 10 miles an hour. So let me walk at, you know. 3.5 miles an hour is, you know, for week one and then week 2. I'm gonna walk for 3, you know, and on and on and on. It's progressive overload.
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Diego Ramirez: So we would. We would redo it small increments. you know, at a time.
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Diego Ramirez: and instead of going on this on this vertical load where it's like you go extreme extreme. And that's when you get injured. So that's how we approach it.
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Diego Ramirez: Then we also take a look like I said, like at the time, you know, and some folks say, Well, I want to work out for 2 h. It's like
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Diego Ramirez: what was the last time. Again we come back to that frequency.
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Diego Ramirez: and they say, Well, I haven't really worked out for 2 h in a long time.
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Diego Ramirez: Well, let's start with 30 min.
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Diego Ramirez: You know, the World Health Organization says, should work out 5 30 min of aerobic activity 5 times a week, or 150 min at moderate intensity
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Diego Ramirez: or 75 min of high intensity. I'm
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Diego Ramirez: training. So that's where we go, based off on.
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Diego Ramirez: So if they want elliptical, we send them up with the elliptical, if they like the, and that also ties in with the
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Diego Ramirez: enjoyment portion of of things because
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Diego Ramirez: you said it earlier, which was, you know you have to enjoy it. You know you have to. You have to be able to. Wanna go in there because once you get injured, once you're not enjoying things, you're the chances of you dropping
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Diego Ramirez: and not come wanting to come back or continue
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Diego Ramirez: increase. So that would be my my
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Diego Ramirez: what I do, where? Where folks have been away from the from the from the setting
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Diego Ramirez: and and know quite a bit. So then you can go FITT. E.
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Diego Ramirez: Frequency, intensity, time and type
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Diego Ramirez: and enjoyment, and that that would set you up for greater success, for sure.
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Hong Lieu: And then I quick follow up question in that regard, because it crossed my mind in terms of recovery when you feel sore.
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Hong Lieu: I mean, is there a set time where, even though you still feel sore that you can feel comfortable going back to workout.
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Hong Lieu: or should you kind of wait till you hit a certain pain threshold? I mean, what's the what's the recovery? Time after cause? After that first workout? It's real bad, and then it gets better and better with substantial workouts. But then for folks that are scared like, oh, I don't wanna push myself while I'm sore and injured myself. Is there like a recovery time? Or do you know your muscles, or no matter how you feel, are good? Or is it really just kind of individual kind of
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Diego Ramirez: reference thing. It it's it's going to be. Obviously, it's it depends that that would be the answer.
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Diego Ramirez: But it. It's always it always goes back to the individual.
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Diego Ramirez: Some people feel like their their their pain threshold is much higher than others. so a lot of times people ask me this question like, how source should I feel? And it's like
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Diego Ramirez: that's on you, because what is like for you, or like extreme for you.
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Diego Ramirez: It's the opposite for me
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Diego Ramirez: and for the next person. So, my, what we how we approach it is that if you lift weights.
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Diego Ramirez: let's say, for example, if you lift weights on Monday.
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Diego Ramirez: you want to give your body the 24 h rest, period
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Diego Ramirez: before you engage in a strength training again. So weight training, then hits, gets hit again on Wednesday.
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Diego Ramirez: and then you give your recovery period again
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Diego Ramirez: on Friday or Thursday, and then come back on Friday. So you get that 3 days split right. If you do a 2 day. Spl, I mean a 4 day split. That's where you get it all complicated. If you do. Upper body on Monday, lower body on Tuesday, that would be the best approach, because you wanna give your body that those muscles that recovery time
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Diego Ramirez: cardiovascular training. You can continue to work out cardiovascular training.
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Diego Ramirez: every day.
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Diego Ramirez: Okay? Again, because it goes back to what the research has shown, which is you need to include engage and our real quick training at least 5 times a week for 30 min per day. So
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Diego Ramirez: To answer the question, the original question that you asked go based on what you feel? How are you feeling? Talk to someone, ask the questions. So when you come in, for example, to the finish center.
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Diego Ramirez: If it's pain, it's not good. If it's a low discomfort, it's a little soreness.
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Diego Ramirez: that is, that is part of the adaptation process as part of their recovery process. That that you're going through your body is like have now been asked to do something more than they had been doing.
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Diego Ramirez: So it's gonna require a little bit more energy and a little bit recovery. So maybe you need to recover an extra day. And that's fine. Okay, as long as you keep it consistent when you come back, and as you get better and better
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Diego Ramirez: that would be my approach.
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Diego Ramirez: just because it's sore today doesn't mean it's going to be sore for the rest of the. You know the the rest of your life. It will take time for it to adapt
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Diego Ramirez: to to what it it is you want it to do.
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Akil Hill: I always feel day 2 is is is worse like you work out one day like the next day, you're like, Oh, I'm sore. But that second day
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Akil Hill: and that hits different.
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Diego Ramirez: Yeah, that's that's what we call Don Dom's
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Diego Ramirez: delay. Yeah, the Doms Deli delay, onset, muscle, soreness.
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Akil Hill: So it's delayed
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Diego Ramirez: right. And that's a theory. It it's it's delayed, and that's where you feel it the most on the second day.
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Diego Ramirez: That's Dom's for you. So what you experience is, it's true. Sometimes I get a lift, and I'm like, Oh, I'm good the next day, and then I'm like the third day II go pick up my daughter, or like my son play. I'm like, Oh, my God.
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Hong Lieu: yeah. So
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Hong Lieu: for folks that are interested, I mean, the best place is the life Fitness center website. I'll get that up in the show notes or just stop in and say hello to to a member of the staff, or whoever's there?
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Hong Lieu: for a long time. That was that was you, and it might still be you. But you have additional duties now, Diego, as as a we segue into our next segment. What brought you? Sbcc? I mean for a long time you said 7 years, I believe. 9 years you were the Lta. But now you are tenured faculty, Professor, Physical Education and the director life in the center. So if you could go into kind of your path, desk your path to Sbcc, and then your path
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Hong Lieu: from classified staff to to tenured faculty, I mean, we'd love to hear it.
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Diego Ramirez: Alright, how many, how much time we have. So I was originally born in Mexico Mexico city.
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Diego Ramirez: and one of the most populated cities in the world. and at at the age of 7.
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Diego Ramirez: My! My my family are actually the age of 6. My family went through some tough times in May equal.
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Diego Ramirez: and and when I was 7 years old
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Diego Ramirez: my my father
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Diego Ramirez: took that took that tough decision.
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Diego Ramirez: But it was probably the best decision to, and I apologize if I if I get a little emotional here. But my dad took that initiative to go to come to a to the United States to Elnore, as we call it, as we. A lot of us know it, Elnora.
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Diego Ramirez: to give us a better life and a better opportunity.
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Diego Ramirez: And so when I was 7, I remember, I was playing outside, and I went up to get a a toy.
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Diego Ramirez: and everybody my my siblings and and my mom and one of my uncles, a couple. My uncles were there, and my dad had a little duffel bag.
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Diego Ramirez: and like they were, they were crying. Except for my mom, my mom never cried but and I was like what's going on. And and my uncle was like, Well, say goodbye to your dad.
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Diego Ramirez: And I was like, Okay, where's he going? And they said, He's going Northe and and my dad, you know.
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Diego Ramirez: Kiss me goodbye. And
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Diego Ramirez: and I was like, Okay, see you and and he left
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Diego Ramirez: is like 92,
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Diego Ramirez: and we stayed back in may go and and
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Diego Ramirez: and to make ends meet we sold food out of our you know, at the at the market.
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Diego Ramirez: and and tamales my mom started a little a little business where a little restaurant in the in the garage or not even a garage, but we'll call it a garage at you know, probably like 30 min away from our house.
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Diego Ramirez: I at my uncle's sub
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Diego Ramirez: garage and and so, yeah, my dad was over here. He settled in carpenteria carp for us locals
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Diego Ramirez: and and then a year later my mom joined them.
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Diego Ramirez: And
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Diego Ramirez: and I we remember, and I remember
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Diego Ramirez: that
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Diego Ramirez: we hear we would hear stories about, you know, parents leaving their kids, their children back with, you know, loved ones or with with family members.
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Diego Ramirez: and they would never come back. They would never see them.
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Diego Ramirez: And I remember we remember that we told my mom like, Hey.
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Diego Ramirez: Dr. Vizen osotros don't forget about us. And and she left. You know she's like, no, I won't. You know. We'll see each other for sure. and she came to the States.
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Diego Ramirez: Unfortunately, my dad, both my mom, my dad didn't have the
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Diego Ramirez: legal documents to cross legally into the United States.
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Diego Ramirez: And so they had across, you know, undocumented into the United States.
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Diego Ramirez: And and I share this because, you know, it's my story. You know it's our story and it and it's and it's something that that it's. It's so unfortunate for us are not unfortunate for a lot of folks that
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Diego Ramirez: you know that don't know, you know, and and have said or or think that. Well, just get in the back of the line while the back of the line is 2530 years from now
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Diego Ramirez: to be able to come into this country
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Diego Ramirez: and and so, anyway, a year, about 6 months later, after my mom joined my dad
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Diego Ramirez: the they gather enough money and send send money back, and
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Diego Ramirez: and they brought us all back over here to the United States.
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Diego Ramirez: And again. Same thing we we had across in the middle of the night. I was 9 years old
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Diego Ramirez: I still remember it like it was yesterday. We tell you every single smell
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Diego Ramirez: taste.
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Diego Ramirez: You know, as a 9 year old kid. you just you, you you don't. You don't understand a lot of things right? And I remember that.
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Diego Ramirez: Then, you know, we were gonna come to the States so I could go so we could go to this land and and universal studios. Little did we know. You know, we're coming, obviously for a better future. But you know, to work
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Diego Ramirez: and
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Diego Ramirez: and I did get caught
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Diego Ramirez: with my older sister. who is not resting in peace. And We got caught and was sent back. my brother and my sister and my cousin made it through.
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Diego Ramirez: and then A couple of days later, my my my sister and I tried again, and we almost got caught again, but but we made it, and we met with my family with my mom, my dad and carp
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Diego Ramirez: reunited after a couple years. And and that's that's that's where my life begins here in the States and cut up into Riya.
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Diego Ramirez: Went to Carp middle school. our Co. Main school. Now it's no longer there, but main school, and then cart middle school.
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Diego Ramirez: and then I went to Carp high school, and throughout my years as a as a child again to make ends meet. My dad worked like 3 jobs to to support the family.
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Diego Ramirez: We got kicked out of of our apartments because there was a we were a large family.
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Diego Ramirez: and and my mom to make against me would sell food out of our van.
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Diego Ramirez: and we we go to the local nurseries, sell tapos cortitas
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Diego Ramirez: you know. So that's
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Diego Ramirez: and and that was every every day, and on Saturdays, for sure. So there was like no Saturday like cartoon day for me. I was. That was the first since I was a younger younger one.
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Diego Ramirez: I would always get pay told to get up. Gotta go to albertson's are lucky at the time.
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Diego Ramirez: and give me topatio and give me chile, and this and that, and give me the whole list.
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Diego Ramirez: And I used to live in Legoland. So those of you that know where Legoland is, you know, it's up by the bluffs, right? So there's there's an incline.
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Diego Ramirez: So on my way down on my bike it was a breeze, cause I would be like, Yeah, let's go.
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Diego Ramirez: But did I know that? You know I had to bring back, you know, bags of groceries and produce back? So I had to climb back up
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Diego Ramirez: on my bike, and it was so difficult it was like, Oh, my God! This is! Walk it up with bag any tandel bar? Yeah, easy man, IIII
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Diego Ramirez: well, II wish that it was only one bag. There was like 3 bags first, then, and then, of course, when it was like uneven, and there was like 4 on one side or 5 on one side and 3 on the other, it'd be like or 2 on the other one, because the other ones are too heavy, and it was just swinging into the tire all and so. But you know I did it, and and then we'd get ready
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Diego Ramirez: and go sell our food. You know we had to be at the, you know, at the first break time, which was like 10 Am. And then
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Diego Ramirez: drive back and prepare lunch and be back at noon. So our days would be like over, you know, finishing up around 230'clock, you know, and then, of course, you have to go back home and clean clean up.
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Diego Ramirez: and
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Diego Ramirez: you know, just get ready for, you know, if if essentially just rest, but get ready, for you know, the next day. And so that that was that was that was pretty much
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Diego Ramirez: my my childhood helping my parents. You know, make our better future for us. And then I like, I said, I went to carp high.
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Diego Ramirez: I my parents, my! So my my siblings
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Diego Ramirez: my older siblings graduated from carp high, and my older sister actually went to Santa Barbara City College because she was already over 18, she was enabled to enroll in
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Diego Ramirez: in in high school
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Diego Ramirez: so she went to the Esl program here, there at Sbcc or here at Sbcc.
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Diego Ramirez: And and she did. She did. Dsl. when I graduated from high school in O, 2, yeah, o 2
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Diego Ramirez: Then I went to Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara City College. That was my first college
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Diego Ramirez: and but I do remember that in middle, in high school, you know, side of our city college came, and you know they did a presentation, and and and whatnot, and I went to my counselor and I said, Hey, like you know, they talk about all this things like, you know. How do I? You know I
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Diego Ramirez: I wanna like I wanna see about, you know, joining. And she said, you want to go to college.
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Diego Ramirez: And I was just like I was like, Yeah, you know, if I can.
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Diego Ramirez: He's like well, I guess. But I mean, you know, he's just probably go to the fields, and you know, just work like
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Diego Ramirez: you know your your, your people, do you know? And I was like, oh, like, obviously, at that time I was like, I didn't. I was like, what do you mean. And she's like, Well, you know, you guys work the fields. And you guys always work like, you know, you know, with in in the workforce. And
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Diego Ramirez: but if you want, here's the application, here's the stuff. And I. And I was like, Okay, so she really didn't help me
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Diego Ramirez: and didn't think that I would I would go to college.
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Diego Ramirez: and which is very unfortunate. But but I know my mom and my dad
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Diego Ramirez: had always preached about.
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Diego Ramirez: go to college get an education. That's that's your ticket out. That's that's the way you're, gonna you know, progress in in life and and have a better job. And and I have to, you know, struggle as much.
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Diego Ramirez: And so I went to Santa Barbara City College like I said.
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Diego Ramirez: I did not have illegal documents throughout my entire. You know life up until 27 years old, and I'll get into that a little bit later. But
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Diego Ramirez: So I had to pay everything out of my pocket. I did not. I did not qualify for the bog waiver at the time. Or you know there was not all these programs now that we do have, like the dream act
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Diego Ramirez: or scholarships that are more readily available for undocumented
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Diego Ramirez: folks.
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Diego Ramirez: So I remember coming in the first semester, and I thought I qualify for the bog.
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Diego Ramirez: But the second second semester, when I enrolled they told me that
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Diego Ramirez: you owe 500 and some dollars because you're considered out of State student.
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Diego Ramirez: and you all your all your units from last semester. And I,
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Diego Ramirez: yeah, I just wanted it.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, pass out right there and then, I cried.
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Diego Ramirez: I was like, how you know, like, well, did you graduate from from? You know I was like I
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Diego Ramirez: I graduated from high school here like, carp high. Yeah, but that doesn't qualify you for like this, this assistance. And I was just like I was really bummed
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Diego Ramirez: and you know I but II paid it.
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Diego Ramirez: and I paid for another semester but I was only able to afford like part-time.
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Diego Ramirez: and I did that. and then eventually.
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Diego Ramirez: my family, my my parents, and you know the American dream was obviously being able to afford a house and not get kicked out of our apartments every every so often. so in carp. It was inaccessible for sure, like
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Diego Ramirez: we were, we were, we wouldn't have been able to afford anything. So we came to Oxnard. and that's where my parents. We purchased our first house, and where my parents still live today.
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Diego Ramirez: and that was an O. 5, and I've been here ever since I transferred to Oxnard College because we live literally right behind Oxnard College. So I wasn't gonna make that commute. And I and I praise and and and I admire those those folks that do
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Diego Ramirez: that you know, to get an education at at our college, the community from so from Santa Paula Oxnard! Ventura.
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Diego Ramirez: Oh, Hi! Santa Maria, you know San, like all these play, the students who commute to our campus to in in search for higher education. So I admire those, and I have so much respect for them. I just couldn't.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, obviously not having a a driver's license. I didn't want to get exposed to the the chances of me getting pulled over and getting my car taken away.
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Diego Ramirez: So
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Diego Ramirez: I transferred Oxnard College
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Diego Ramirez: and
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Diego Ramirez: II was working as a personal trainer. I started working as a personal trainer.
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Diego Ramirez: and that's how I got into the fitness industry and
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Diego Ramirez: when I was when it was time for me to transfer out to, you know, cause I was coming down at the end of my, my Aa.
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Diego Ramirez: Degree.
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Diego Ramirez: It was like, what's the next option? And I knew that in Novellas, you know, growing up with novellas, you know the University in the United States is like this.
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Diego Ramirez: yeah, this is like, it's like Mount Everest. And folks that are fluent would be like, Oh, yeah, they know my son went, or my daughter went to study at the University of the in the United States, you know. And
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Diego Ramirez: so it was only a dream, and it was only like a novella thing that you could go to university. and particularly, and so
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Diego Ramirez: I remember that one of my clients at the time got sent Angel Laurie.
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Diego Ramirez: She she asked me like, what else do you do? Besides, you know, train people, and I was like, well, you know I go to school. And she's like, Oh, yeah, how much longer do you have? And I said.
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Diego Ramirez: Oh, I don't know. II think I have like 2, 3 years later, like more before I can, you know, even like, think about transferring. She's like, Oh, why don't you bring your transcripts in, you know, cause she saw how lost I was, and she realized she worked at Cal State Channel Islands.
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Diego Ramirez: and she's like
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Diego Ramirez: she came back to our for our next session. She's like, did you know that you like? If you go back to school full time
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Diego Ramirez: like you can transfer out in one year. and I was like no way.
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Diego Ramirez: cause you know it feels like you're on a treadmill. It like the road. It's there's no end
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Diego Ramirez: in sight. So I remember that I
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Diego Ramirez: I said, Wow, I came, talk to my parents.
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Diego Ramirez: And I said, Hey.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, is that okay? Like, you guys think you guys can support me to go back to school full time.
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Diego Ramirez: and my mom and my dad was like me home. You know the tortillas a roof over your head. Well, always be available for you here.
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Diego Ramirez: so that's how we can help you. I can't give you money, can't support you any any other way. But this is what I can do for you.
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Diego Ramirez: And I think that was actually, that is all I needed that support
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Diego Ramirez: them, saying, Don't worry. The house is here.
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Diego Ramirez: and that's all I needed. So I went back to school full time. For that last year.
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Diego Ramirez: and I was the first one in my family to graduate from college with an Aa. Degree.
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Diego Ramirez: And
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Diego Ramirez: and it was it was really really cool
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Diego Ramirez: to get to experience that and and give that
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Diego Ramirez: the satisfaction to my parents
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Diego Ramirez: that you know their sacrifice didn't go to vain
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Diego Ramirez: wasn't in vain, and and and it was
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Diego Ramirez: it was worth it.
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Diego Ramirez: So. Oh, then I got to transfer out to Kelsey, Northridge, and that's when I found out like, Oh, damn like it's not. It's no longer 500 bucks.
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Diego Ramirez: It's it's 3 times the amount. And and I had a I had a work. I was working
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Diego Ramirez: full time and and paying for my studies, and there were times where I couldn't afford it, and my brother would let me borrow his credit card so I could pay for college. Sorry
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Diego Ramirez: my tuition, and
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Diego Ramirez: in my books
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Diego Ramirez: and my sisters Juliana and Natalia.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, everybody would just cheer me on, and and just just be Ver very supportive of me going
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Diego Ramirez: And I chose Kinesiology, because
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Diego Ramirez: obviously my legal status didn't I wanted to go like, go into like the medical field I wanted to pursue like law enforcement, military like. I had all these aspirations and
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Diego Ramirez: all these dreams of like, you know, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but
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Diego Ramirez: Kinesiology was the closest thing for me to.
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Diego Ramirez: I always liked teaching. I always liked helping people learn new things.
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Diego Ramirez: and and being in, you know, active in sports. I was a first ring bench, warmer like. I always tell my athletes. But but I really really enjoy. You know, that art the science of of of
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Diego Ramirez: of exercise and sport. So Kinesiology just fit in, and and I knew I was looking out for like what can I do with a degree without, you know, legal status? And at least I could be a a general manager at a fitness facility, or a district manager, maybe with a degree and you know, and it took me a little bit longer to graduate from Northridge, cause I had to take a couple of semesters off
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Diego Ramirez: because I couldn't afford it.
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Diego Ramirez: But then, in 2,012. I was I was the first in my family again to graduate from
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Diego Ramirez: from a university from Calcane, Northridge, so I'm forever at matador
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Diego Ramirez: and and, as a matter of fact, every time I lift, and it's time for deadlifts.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, with with and
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Diego Ramirez: I always play that matador song. because it reminds me of the struggle and and the and the success that we had.
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Diego Ramirez: that I had. you know, here in the States.
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Diego Ramirez: In 2,008. I forgot in 2,008 when I first
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Diego Ramirez: went to Oxnard College, or graduate from Oxnard College. That's when I met my wife.
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Diego Ramirez: And first, you know, a couple of months after we've met.
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Diego Ramirez: she said. Hey! Why, why can you go like to make when your family like
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Diego Ramirez: I said, All right. Well, you know we're here undocumented and stuff. And she was like, Oh, wow! Poly!
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Diego Ramirez: And she offered to get married with me. She's like, why don't we just get married? You don't have to let anybody know.
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Diego Ramirez: so that way you can pursue your dreams. And
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Diego Ramirez: and I told her I? And I said, Look, thank you for the offer, but I don't want you to ever think that I got married with you because of your papers. Your papelles
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Diego Ramirez: want you to know that I got married with you because I love you because we want to be. I want to be together with you. So
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Diego Ramirez: she never bothered me again about that. But she was like. you know, my number one fan, and she was always cheering me.
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Diego Ramirez: I'm you know.
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Diego Ramirez: driving down to Northridge. I had a commute a you know. I can move over there because I can afford
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Diego Ramirez: to live out there like, I said, in 2,012
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Diego Ramirez: I graduated from from Northridge, and then
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Diego Ramirez: 2 months. 3 months later we got married. And that was the way she was able to petition for me.
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Diego Ramirez: because the the the law allowed it for for a Us. Citizen to petition for their for their loved one. and and we started the process.
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Diego Ramirez: That was about the same time that Obama had signed the Daca. and so I applied for Daca. I got approved for Daca, so I'm documented at the court.
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Diego Ramirez: and that was like triumph for all of us
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Diego Ramirez: in in the undocumented community. And and then.
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Diego Ramirez: a few months later, II was summoned up for an interview with the Us. Immigration and customs, immigration, immigration and transition services. I can't remember the name exact name, but
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Diego Ramirez: My wife and I had to go to an interview, you know. Make sure that our marriage was legit.
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Diego Ramirez: and and so that's when I got a where I got my legal, permanent residency. and all these doors open for me. you know. So now I could go and explore the medical, feel like to go explore
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Diego Ramirez: any of these other fields that I wanted to.
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Diego Ramirez: except for law enforcement, because law enforcement you needed to be. You need to be a Us. Citizen to be a commission or a sworn officer. But I wanted to, and so I did, and I started getting my stuff ready for a PA school.
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Diego Ramirez: so I wanted to be a physician assistant. I tried.
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and they were just
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Diego Ramirez: Kinesiology. Always hold me back every time III try to go into the medical field.
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I got pulled
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Diego Ramirez: to Kinesiology, and in 2,013 I applied for a physician at Santa Barbara City College
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as a strength and conditioning coach.
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Diego Ramirez: and I did not get an email or anything back.
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Diego Ramirez: So I was like, Oh, man, that sucks!
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And then I was bummed.
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Diego Ramirez: but I knew that I didn't have the experience or the the skill set yet to be able to serve in that capacity. I didn't understand at that time. Of course you know you're mad and you're sad.
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Diego Ramirez: But so anyway, II
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Diego Ramirez: I didn't. I didn't get anything.
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Diego Ramirez: and then I tried to go into the medical field like, I said, as as kept pursuing my medical degree. And I did a Emt program.
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Diego Ramirez: And while I was working for working to look for jobs as an Em. T. I went up to Santa Barbara to to look for jobs.
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Diego Ramirez: and then I was kinda like bummed out that I couldn't find anything. But I was like, well, you know, I still have my Kinesiology degree. I was like, I wonder if there's any Kinesiology jobs out there.
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Diego Ramirez: And I did. And that's when the Lta position popped up
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Diego Ramirez: on my search. And and I applied.
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I was like, Yeah, you know what I gotta apply. They didn't even take me the first time, so I was like.
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Diego Ramirez: but I and I closed it.
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Diego Ramirez: and then I opened it up. I was like, you know, curiosity, of course I was like, let me see. and and I checked pretty much all the boxes, with the exception of like working in
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Diego Ramirez: in in higher education. But during my my my time at Northridge I had to do my internship, and I worked at Pierce College as a assistant, strength conditioning intern
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Diego Ramirez: so that kind of check that box off.
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Diego Ramirez: and I did it as a volunteer, even after my internship was done because I loved it so much.
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Diego Ramirez: And then I
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Diego Ramirez: 3 months later I had forgotten about it. and I had gone through other interviews throughout this time.
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Diego Ramirez: and my wife and I had been been living in a in a one bedroom renting out of my sister's house.
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Diego Ramirez: and and I said to
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Diego Ramirez: I was getting ready for for an interview. I gotta offer it an interview at City College.
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Diego Ramirez: and I was getting my stuff ready. My wife was like, What are you doing? I don't wanna tell her anymore, you know, like cause it was like getting our hopes up. And then.
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Diego Ramirez: you know they were just blown out and just deflated, so I just didn't want to get her hopes up. And so I said, Oh, sorry! I didn't tell you that I had an interview.
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Diego Ramirez: and she said, No, oh, yeah. So she's like where? And I was like, I'd send her a city cut. She's like, okay, well, good luck, you know. And so I got ready. It went up there.
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Diego Ramirez: and I had never been
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Diego Ramirez: in a in a committee or interview by a committee the way I was, and and so that was like that was pretty cool, and it was like surprising, you know, scary and everything.
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Diego Ramirez: but obviously I did a good enough job. I came home.
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Diego Ramirez: II left, and I said I said to my wife, and I was like, you know, I don't think I got anything like I was applying to
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Diego Ramirez: schools to to go into a nurse practitioner. and and so I said, well, let's let's let's head out to San Diego, you know. That's where one of the colleges that I had applied to.
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Diego Ramirez: and
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Diego Ramirez: and then I got home, and that's when they they called me. And they said, Hey, you've been offered a, you know, final interview. Would you like to, you know. Take it. And I said, Yeah.
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Diego Ramirez: so I went. and I made. I did my final interview.
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Diego Ramirez: and that is, I knew that I'd gone it when I interviewed with Kathy O'connor and Lyell, and O'connor
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Diego Ramirez: was now retired, and
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Diego Ramirez: and I laughed, and I was like I think I got it. I called my wife
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Diego Ramirez: and I got home. and I had gotten it. My acceptance letter to the Suzu Pacific San Diego campus for the nurse, practitioner, entry level nurse, practitioner
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Diego Ramirez: masters. And
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Diego Ramirez: and at the same time I got a phone call from HR. Saying that you've been offered the position.
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Diego Ramirez: So it was. It was one of those things like? Do I go into a field that I'd never explore and never been into?
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Diego Ramirez: Or do I stick with what I love, and something that I know I'm passionate about
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Diego Ramirez: that. I love doing that. I haven't had a work
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Diego Ramirez: for the last, you know. At that time it was like the last 8 years, 9 years, and
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Diego Ramirez: and so II I we decided, my wife said. it's your call. It's your passion. What do you want to do I support you? 100%. And we took the decision to stay.
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Diego Ramirez: And I started at Santa Barbara City College as a lab teaching assistant.
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Diego Ramirez: And yeah, Matt, I mean, that was that was the beginning
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Diego Ramirez: of
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Diego Ramirez: I always tell people that
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Diego Ramirez: when I got the Lta position I hit the Lotto.
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Diego Ramirez: And you say, well, you know, it's just a
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Diego Ramirez: just an Lta, and I'm like, No. Have you know where I come from? Have you know how to like the struggles I had to go through
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Diego Ramirez: like I was supposed to be like that statistic right? And so I hit. I hit the lotto because
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Diego Ramirez: this position the Lta position gave me opportunities.
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Diego Ramirez: both professionally and financially, to be be able to provide for my family.
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Diego Ramirez: You know a better feature. and that sacrifice that my parents made my wife, maid. and my entire family mate.
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Diego Ramirez: And that's why you say that that that was I was hit hit the lotto. And and yeah, so that's that's that's how my my tenure started out as an Lta there.
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Diego Ramirez: That was the first time. First Lta in the live finish center.
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Diego Ramirez: I know that Ellen mentioned that they had tried to go for that position for like 1013 years in a row, and they never got it approved
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Diego Ramirez: until until 2,013, and that's when I was
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Diego Ramirez: That's when they they went out, and that's they hired me.
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Diego Ramirez: So there was a lot of learning. There was a lot of like getting to know what the Lta would do in the life in the center.
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Diego Ramirez: My skill set really helped. Being a latino and bilingual.
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Diego Ramirez: I was able to help out with the Esl finish for Esl, which is something that I'm looking forward to bring back.
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Diego Ramirez: and for now, in my new capacity
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Diego Ramirez: as a as a professor. But I was able to help out
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Diego Ramirez: you know, grow our our our program.
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Diego Ramirez: That's when canvas came in
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Diego Ramirez: and canvas is a huge part of our program. I and I was.
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Diego Ramirez: I remember I had we were. We had just gotten away from Moodle, or like that, replace moodle.
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Diego Ramirez: and everybody hated brutal. I only got to work with Moodle for like a semester or 2.
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Diego Ramirez: And I saw canvas. And I was like, Yeah, this is, this is great.
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Diego Ramirez: And some of the some of my my colleagues were like, No, like it. Don't get too excited, because it may. It may just last a couple of years, just like all the other ones. But I was like, no, this this thing is here to stay, and I became very proficient at it
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Diego Ramirez: to the point where people call me the canvas, Guru and some of the some of the adjunct and faculty members come in. How do you do this? Can you help me out with this?
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Diego Ramirez: Of course. Heck, yeah, like, let's go like whatever I can do to help you. And and so, yeah, as an LTAI I kept doing that.
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Diego Ramirez: and I knew that I eventually wanted to jump into teaching.
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Diego Ramirez: But but I wasn't getting ahead of myself, of course.
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Diego Ramirez: because I knew that there was a process. and there were things that I needed to fulfill. and but I knew that I always loved strength and conditioning. and II saw the need that some of the some of the teams.
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Diego Ramirez: particularly the the most diverse teams, had. and the the historically
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Diego Ramirez: underserved populations, such as such as women's sports
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Diego Ramirez: didn't have strength conditioning in their in their programs.
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Diego Ramirez: So I offered to to assist and volunteer and help out.
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Diego Ramirez: And I remember Sandrine women's basketball.
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Diego Ramirez: I said, Hey, no. Do you want me to help you? And she was just kind of like you would like, I was like, Yeah, let's let's go like.
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Diego Ramirez: and she was very, very happy that I that I that I, you know, offer to help.
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Diego Ramirez: and she when told me she like, but I can't pay. I was like, it's fine like. Don't worry like let's do it like I'm here to help. And so II would stay after work and help out with their strength. Program.
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Diego Ramirez: and and because I was a a Csc which stands for certified strength conditioning specialists
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Diego Ramirez: and and II did it, I volunteered, for, you know, few years
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Diego Ramirez: I did. I also helped out football a couple of years and they didn't have someone to help them out with their their strength program.
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Diego Ramirez: And then one day I heard that
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Diego Ramirez: Ellen was thinking about, or she told me something about retirement and about, and she's like, I'll probably have 4 or 5 years more before I retire.
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Diego Ramirez: And I looked at the minimum calls, and it said that
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Diego Ramirez: I didn't. That, you have to have a master's to be able to teach at the community college level.
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Diego Ramirez: And that's when I made that decision to go to go back to school and get my masters.
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Diego Ramirez: And and I did. My master's at Cal Baptist
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Diego Ramirez: University out in Riverside.
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Diego Ramirez: and I chose that program mainly because it was a Nsc Nsca in the National Strain conditioning Associations
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Diego Ramirez: backed or recognized program. And so I wanted to.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, put put that on my resume as well. And and I know that
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Diego Ramirez: I was a member of the Anna. Ca, so
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Diego Ramirez: you know, these huge national associations are not just gonna like, put their name on whatever program they're gonna vet these programs. They're gonna look at their curriculum. They're gonna look at, you know the success and how it can help develop the field of strength and conditioning.
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Diego Ramirez: And so that's why I chose it.
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Diego Ramirez: And then I had the option of choosing the 2 year program or one year program.
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Diego Ramirez: And I remember talking to my wife. And she's like, Well, if we're gonna do it, let's go all in and just do it in one year like go.
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Diego Ramirez: And so I signed up for for my master's. I asked a couple my my colleagues.
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Diego Ramirez: but I like to take a pause here and kind of go back a little bit with in terms of
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Diego Ramirez: I remember Sand green. Ask me
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Diego Ramirez: 1 one year, and she's like yo like. So what's next? You know, as an Lta, she's like it's next. And I was like. What do you mean when it's next like I again I hit the lotto.
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Diego Ramirez: She's like, well, you know, but you know that's great. But what's the next step? And she planted that seat, you know
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Diego Ramirez: she planted that seat, and I'm forever thankful to her for doing that.
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Diego Ramirez: because
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Diego Ramirez: you know, that propelled me to the to taking that next step of going back to my master, get my master's
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Diego Ramirez: and and I did it. It was a hundred percent online
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Diego Ramirez: I did it have to go to campus, you know, to defend my my my! My! My my my thesis and
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Diego Ramirez: and and all that stuff. That you have to go through
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Diego Ramirez: and but as I was telling you earlier, Hong, I did it. I had now, by this time I had my daughter and my son
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Diego Ramirez: there were.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, a few months old, my my daughter and my son was a couple years old.
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Diego Ramirez: I was 3,
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Diego Ramirez: and so in the morning I would take the train up to to the college
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Diego Ramirez: and read on my way up, work my 8 h shift.
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Diego Ramirez: then get back on the a train, and I'll start reading and then doze off and then get in. Get home, have dinner with the family.
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Diego Ramirez: then lock myself up in my office, and wouldn't come out until like 2, 3, sometimes 5 in the morning.
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Diego Ramirez: and then do it all over again.
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Diego Ramirez: And those are the sacrifices that you know my family made.
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Diego Ramirez: and you know, fast forward 2019. I was the first
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Diego Ramirez: in my family to graduate with a masters and again.
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Diego Ramirez: It's it's it's it's said lightly, right? Or like, you know, it's just you could just say it. But it's a lot of sacrifice, a lot of hard work
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Diego Ramirez: that I like. I always tell my athletes.
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Diego Ramirez: People see the end result right like they see, like you performing out there on the court, on the field. but sometimes they don't realize that. How much, how many hours it took for you to prepare for that. You know. 90 min match that 40 min match
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Diego Ramirez: and and and you know, strength, training, the conditioning, the practice, the setting place, and all that. And it's the same thing with us
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as as as teachers as as professionals.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, they get to see like Kong. I get, you know, I they get to see the website, you know, but they don't realize how much, how many hours you took.
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Diego Ramirez: and all the your your experience and your education or background that you took, and the sacrifices that you had made.
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Diego Ramirez: you know, I see with a kill, you know. And and and yeah, we see like people get reinstated in our in our glasses like right away. You know, we get to see, like our our all of our legibility be done and like we just see the end result of athletes being on the roster.
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Diego Ramirez: But it takes a lot of lot of work.
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Diego Ramirez: a lot of passion.
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Diego Ramirez: a lot of power from everyone woman, men power
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Diego Ramirez: to get us get us going. So
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Diego Ramirez: yeah. And then the pandemic hit in 2020,
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Diego Ramirez: and
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Diego Ramirez: and I had a good conversation with with with with one of my colleagues. And I said, I wanna I wanna grow. I wanna teach. I wanna coach like.
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Diego Ramirez: what do I need to do? And
463
00:53:27.360 --> 00:53:35.079
Diego Ramirez: and then, you know, it was a a very good conversation where they listened to me. They heard me. They heard my needs
464
00:53:35.330 --> 00:53:45.260
Diego Ramirez: and I was like. you know, if it's not here, then, you know, I need to go look for. you know, to be able to have experience teaching
465
00:53:45.690 --> 00:53:50.839
Diego Ramirez: and and they we sure enough they they listen to my to my needs.
466
00:53:50.980 --> 00:53:53.169
Diego Ramirez: and they offer to help me.
467
00:53:53.420 --> 00:53:56.750
Diego Ramirez: and Devin
468
00:53:56.930 --> 00:54:04.309
Diego Ramirez: Enga Breton was the the men's basketball coach needed a strength coach for his for his athletes
469
00:54:04.430 --> 00:54:10.570
Diego Ramirez: and and that's a class that we offer us strength, conditions for intercollegiate athletes.
470
00:54:10.820 --> 00:54:12.329
Diego Ramirez: and he offered it to me.
471
00:54:12.470 --> 00:54:31.729
Diego Ramirez: and he said, you. You were it your expertise, your experience, your knowledge, like you. This is, I can do it. But III would stink at it so I would, can you? Can you? Would you want to take it? That's like, absolutely, if you're willing to trust me with your team, and you know, have that confidence in me. Yeah.
472
00:54:31.920 --> 00:54:33.000
Diego Ramirez: So he did.
473
00:54:33.160 --> 00:54:41.990
Diego Ramirez: And then Sandrine, right after that, was like, yes, I want to give you one of my classes, so you can get more experience. And and I did.
474
00:54:42.260 --> 00:54:54.210
Diego Ramirez: and then, Ellen, you know, offered it, you know she's like, look, you know. Would you like to co-teach this class. And I was like, absolutely because I knew that that those those experiences would help me
475
00:54:54.350 --> 00:54:57.159
Diego Ramirez: develop into a better teacher.
476
00:54:57.330 --> 00:55:07.450
Diego Ramirez: a better professor. And and and so yeah. fast forward to 20, 22.
477
00:55:07.690 --> 00:55:13.849
Diego Ramirez: Ellen decided to retire. And I was like, Oh, my God, like this, is it?
478
00:55:14.080 --> 00:55:15.230
Diego Ramirez: And
479
00:55:15.310 --> 00:55:20.590
Diego Ramirez: II was like. Okay. I know that I went back to to to school.
480
00:55:20.920 --> 00:55:24.390
Diego Ramirez: obviously to to to
481
00:55:25.860 --> 00:55:30.020
Diego Ramirez: provide. not provide. What's the word I'm trying to use?
482
00:55:30.760 --> 00:55:34.100
Diego Ramirez: To improve my knowledge and my profession.
483
00:55:34.360 --> 00:55:38.350
Diego Ramirez: and to improve professionally.
484
00:55:39.310 --> 00:55:43.499
Diego Ramirez: and but o of overall! I knew that
485
00:55:43.890 --> 00:55:46.150
Diego Ramirez: I had out my whole life. I had always
486
00:55:46.190 --> 00:55:53.419
Diego Ramirez: been shut out of opportunities because I didn't have a legal or like my legal documents like my my my!
487
00:55:54.360 --> 00:55:56.300
Diego Ramirez: And I knew that
488
00:55:56.350 --> 00:56:00.689
Diego Ramirez: I didn't want that happen in the event that an opportunity would arrive
489
00:56:01.110 --> 00:56:10.270
Diego Ramirez: such as like, oh, you don't have a master, so you can't apply for this job. I wanted to have the opportunity to throw my name into that hat. and
490
00:56:10.310 --> 00:56:13.720
Diego Ramirez: so when that happened, I was like, I know I have it.
491
00:56:14.040 --> 00:56:18.550
Diego Ramirez: And I went down the announcement, and I looked and I checked off.
492
00:56:19.730 --> 00:56:22.629
Diego Ramirez: I would say, 95% of those those boxes
493
00:56:23.350 --> 00:56:26.380
Diego Ramirez: and and yes, so
494
00:56:26.460 --> 00:56:30.579
Diego Ramirez: put together. My, you know the best. I worked at it again.
495
00:56:30.740 --> 00:56:36.610
Diego Ramirez: It was. It was a lot of a lot of hard work and
496
00:56:36.700 --> 00:56:41.410
Diego Ramirez: couple of sleepless nights trying to put together the best presentation that I could.
497
00:56:42.160 --> 00:56:44.810
Diego Ramirez: So that it could go in front of a committee
498
00:56:45.030 --> 00:56:52.159
Diego Ramirez: in front of a president, a college president. And and yeah, I submitted it. And I said, Well.
499
00:56:52.360 --> 00:56:57.219
Diego Ramirez: you know, if it's my wife, and I have the saying that if it's meant to be, it's meant to be, and if it's not.
500
00:56:57.580 --> 00:57:01.190
Diego Ramirez: there's a reason why. and a firm believer that things happen for a reason.
501
00:57:02.380 --> 00:57:12.539
Diego Ramirez: My whole life. I believe that. And When I got. When I got selected to go into a job interview to the first interview
502
00:57:13.350 --> 00:57:18.299
Diego Ramirez: I was I was thrilled. I was nervous. I was excited. I was scared
503
00:57:20.520 --> 00:57:23.130
Diego Ramirez: and walking in.
504
00:57:23.290 --> 00:57:26.110
Diego Ramirez: I knew that it was gonna be a tough feat
505
00:57:26.410 --> 00:57:29.810
Diego Ramirez: to conquer. but I was like, it's not impossible.
506
00:57:30.280 --> 00:57:41.470
Diego Ramirez: Obviously I have things, the skill set, the knowledge. and they saw it on that, on, on my application, and my resume, and my cover, letter, and everything that I had to submit.
507
00:57:41.830 --> 00:57:45.000
Diego Ramirez: and I walked in.
508
00:57:45.550 --> 00:57:50.569
Diego Ramirez: and I remember sitting in front. I could I could
509
00:57:51.030 --> 00:57:55.999
Diego Ramirez: awesomely, awesomely say that, and it reminded me I've never been
510
00:57:56.430 --> 00:57:59.079
Diego Ramirez: in a in a in one of these, but
511
00:58:00.280 --> 00:58:04.579
Diego Ramirez: like a parole, hearing that I would see on, on
512
00:58:04.720 --> 00:58:09.040
Diego Ramirez: on movies. That's what I felt like. Why I
513
00:58:09.410 --> 00:58:11.149
Diego Ramirez: why, I deserve to be
514
00:58:11.630 --> 00:58:16.259
Diego Ramirez: the next the next professor, like I was selling myself right like.
515
00:58:16.330 --> 00:58:29.050
Diego Ramirez: and that's how II felt. Obviously it was nerve wracking. There was a lot of emotions. particularly because. as I walked into that interview.
516
00:58:30.150 --> 00:58:36.319
Diego Ramirez: I was not only representing myself by my family. my kids, my wife.
517
00:58:37.230 --> 00:58:40.639
Diego Ramirez: my parents, the sacrifices that my family.
518
00:58:41.110 --> 00:58:44.870
Diego Ramirez: my entire family, has made. my ancestors
519
00:58:45.580 --> 00:58:50.609
Diego Ramirez: and my colleagues as a classified individual.
520
00:58:51.430 --> 00:58:58.550
Diego Ramirez: I was representing all of us, because I know how it felt to be on this side or on the opposite side.
521
00:58:59.040 --> 00:59:01.890
Diego Ramirez: and I know how it felt, and I know how it feels
522
00:59:02.140 --> 00:59:08.000
Diego Ramirez: to be the one that is not seated at the decision making through the decision making process.
523
00:59:08.680 --> 00:59:12.910
Diego Ramirez: And now I had that chance to be sitting in front and present.
524
00:59:13.180 --> 00:59:15.209
Diego Ramirez: You know everything that I
525
00:59:15.300 --> 00:59:19.660
Diego Ramirez: said. I wanted to do it, and B. And
526
00:59:20.790 --> 00:59:23.919
Diego Ramirez: II did it, and I left, and I was like.
527
00:59:24.250 --> 00:59:27.470
Diego Ramirez: I went into my car and I
528
00:59:28.060 --> 00:59:29.630
Diego Ramirez: didn't want to talk to anybody.
529
00:59:29.940 --> 00:59:41.040
Diego Ramirez: and I just cried right there right next to Lafayette Stadium. Sure, people walk by, and we're looking at me like, what is this guy doing? I was yelling and screaming, and it's just all these emotions that were like
530
00:59:41.310 --> 00:59:46.200
Diego Ramirez: hung up in there throughout this, this, this, this this journey, this process
531
00:59:46.690 --> 00:59:57.410
Diego Ramirez: and there was a lot of couple of times during that interview that I thought about crying, and I felt like crying. I didn't think about cry. I was like it. It just comes out, you know. II
532
00:59:57.800 --> 00:59:59.409
Diego Ramirez: it that's me.
533
00:59:59.690 --> 01:00:14.640
Diego Ramirez: But I held it together. Devin was like, you cannot cry, and I'm like, why not? It's like, you cannot cry. And I'm like, Okay, fine. So I didn't cry so I feel proud. And I'm like, Hey, man, I made it proud. I didn't cry, and he's like, it's like, Yeah, you better.
534
01:00:14.710 --> 01:00:18.239
Diego Ramirez: So anyway, I I did a.
535
01:00:19.070 --> 01:00:23.770
Diego Ramirez: I went home. I came home and I slept. I literally walked into my
536
01:00:23.890 --> 01:00:26.520
Diego Ramirez: room, and I slept for like
537
01:00:26.720 --> 01:00:32.720
Diego Ramirez: 5 h straight. That's how like intense this was. and
538
01:00:32.940 --> 01:00:38.060
Diego Ramirez: I didn't feel like myself like normal until like the next day at around like 3 Pm.
539
01:00:38.530 --> 01:00:49.730
Diego Ramirez: So that was a long time, and then got the got them got the call for like, Hey, you made it to the final interview. and that was like, Oh, my God.
540
01:00:49.940 --> 01:00:52.020
Diego Ramirez: okay, like, let's go.
541
01:00:52.430 --> 01:00:58.070
Diego Ramirez: But then they said, you have to wait like 3 and a half weeks for your final interview. So that was another
542
01:00:58.450 --> 01:01:01.070
Diego Ramirez: long, long wait.
543
01:01:01.320 --> 01:01:02.569
Diego Ramirez: and I did.
544
01:01:02.660 --> 01:01:07.539
Diego Ramirez: and when I went to to that interview with
545
01:01:07.690 --> 01:01:09.849
Diego Ramirez: Dr. Murillo!
546
01:01:11.680 --> 01:01:19.590
Diego Ramirez: with it was Maria. Doctor Maria Villanueva!
547
01:01:20.530 --> 01:01:29.469
Diego Ramirez: Be a be a Gomez. God. Sorry. Sorry. Yeah. And
548
01:01:29.510 --> 01:01:33.460
Diego Ramirez: the Deans that are new, Dean. Mike, Madel.
549
01:01:33.890 --> 01:01:41.010
Diego Ramirez: and and also Yans and and Kathy O'connor, our department chair, and
550
01:01:42.210 --> 01:01:49.960
Diego Ramirez: I guess I logged it out of the park, because now I left. and I remember saying
551
01:01:51.350 --> 01:01:52.570
Diego Ramirez: to the committee.
552
01:01:53.200 --> 01:01:57.579
Diego Ramirez: I don't know what happens after I leave here, if I'm the next one great.
553
01:01:57.640 --> 01:02:11.340
Diego Ramirez: and if not. that's fine, too. because you'll always get the best version of the ego. And I said, Thank you. and I left. That was it. And then
554
01:02:12.010 --> 01:02:14.679
Diego Ramirez: that that was on May eighteenth.
555
01:02:14.890 --> 01:02:19.750
Diego Ramirez: and then the next day was graduation day. and I hadn't heard anything.
556
01:02:19.870 --> 01:02:29.210
Diego Ramirez: and we had a little get together a farewell for Ellen. And for Jenses are porting as he was getting
557
01:02:29.400 --> 01:02:40.210
Diego Ramirez: moved to another department and was no longer gonna be our Dean. And Mike. Madel was a introduce her as our new Dean. and he had a
558
01:02:40.800 --> 01:02:46.560
Diego Ramirez: he! He said. Oh, you know, he introduced himself. It's like always have, like great icebreakers.
559
01:02:47.500 --> 01:02:53.559
Diego Ramirez: So you'll get to know those are, you know. Get to experience those as we have meetings, look forward to meeting everybody.
560
01:02:54.140 --> 01:03:02.189
Diego Ramirez: and we're like, okay. And then he's like, you know, what matter of fact, let's do one right now. And he's like, yay. Do you mind if I you know
561
01:03:02.560 --> 01:03:04.100
Diego Ramirez: easy. And I was like, sure.
562
01:03:04.180 --> 01:03:12.119
Diego Ramirez: So he came, and he's like it's like, well, I'm gonna ask you 3 questions. So just go ahead and answer him.
563
01:03:12.430 --> 01:03:18.720
Diego Ramirez: Do you have a middle name? So I said, Yeah, my name is Abram. My middle name is Abram. like, Okay, cool.
564
01:03:19.010 --> 01:03:27.470
Diego Ramirez: He's like, what's your favorite food? You know you're stuck in the lion. and he had one food. What would that be? And I said, That goes for sure.
565
01:03:27.550 --> 01:03:30.920
Diego Ramirez: And he said, what kind? And I said, Tavesa.
566
01:03:31.000 --> 01:03:37.469
Diego Ramirez: he's like, Oh, man! Really authentic, I was like, or something like those lines. And it's like, Yeah, and
567
01:03:38.080 --> 01:03:43.010
Diego Ramirez: vp, Maria was there President? Was there
568
01:03:43.260 --> 01:03:55.700
Diego Ramirez: a couple of other Deans and other faculty members, and some of my colleagues were there for a majority of them. and then he says, Well, you know, if I was a genie, and I had, you know, power to give you any job
569
01:03:56.490 --> 01:03:59.339
Diego Ramirez: you know in the world. What would that be?
570
01:03:59.960 --> 01:04:00.990
And I would.
571
01:04:01.200 --> 01:04:04.039
Diego Ramirez: The first thing that came to my mind. Was.
572
01:04:04.170 --> 01:04:09.009
Diego Ramirez: I stay home, dad, so I can be with my kids. That was the first thing that came into my mind.
573
01:04:10.190 --> 01:04:11.020
Diego Ramirez: But I
574
01:04:11.540 --> 01:04:18.850
Diego Ramirez: some way, somehow I look at the corner my eye and I see Maria. and she's like, look at me, and then I see kindred
575
01:04:19.180 --> 01:04:25.309
Diego Ramirez: and I'm like, Oh, my God, it's happening like what I was like. Well, obviously, like.
576
01:04:25.360 --> 01:04:30.389
Diego Ramirez: I didn't think like it was happening. But I was like, Well, yeah, this this job that I applied for it.
577
01:04:31.180 --> 01:04:43.169
Diego Ramirez: and you know, full time. II even forgot the name of the position I was like, you know, and it was like he's like. And Mike Mandel turns around and looks at
578
01:04:43.240 --> 01:04:46.120
Diego Ramirez: and Maria and kindred, and says.
579
01:04:46.240 --> 01:04:48.170
Diego Ramirez: Maria kindred.
580
01:04:48.610 --> 01:04:52.010
Diego Ramirez: is it okay? And I, all I hear was like
581
01:04:52.060 --> 01:04:56.229
Diego Ramirez: from everybody in the crowd. And and I was like, No.
582
01:04:56.380 --> 01:04:58.929
Diego Ramirez: no way, this is not how it's happening.
583
01:04:59.340 --> 01:05:08.610
Diego Ramirez: And then she's like, that's what Mcdonald said, is okay. If I introduce Diego as a new full-time faculty in the Physical Education Department. And
584
01:05:08.620 --> 01:05:11.380
Diego Ramirez: oh, man, my knees buckled.
585
01:05:11.770 --> 01:05:14.150
Diego Ramirez: and all these emotions came.
586
01:05:14.160 --> 01:05:17.520
Diego Ramirez: and I just got sworn by folks that
587
01:05:18.320 --> 01:05:21.680
Diego Ramirez: knew me, my colleagues, my friends.
588
01:05:21.810 --> 01:05:27.330
Diego Ramirez: and and that's how that's how I found out that I was the next one
589
01:05:27.830 --> 01:05:41.459
Diego Ramirez: the next the the chosen one, I guess, for like their term. and that is my, that is my path now through to now where I'm at right now. And
590
01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:45.769
Diego Ramirez: I did call. My. The first person I wanted to call was my wife
591
01:05:45.980 --> 01:05:49.130
Diego Ramirez: to let her know. and she didn't answer.
592
01:05:50.030 --> 01:06:00.510
Diego Ramirez: of course. Yeah. So like, I need a, I need an iphone I want or like, I watch. So I can like even when I don't have my phone. I can answer my case. I called twice. She didn't answer.
593
01:06:01.120 --> 01:06:14.059
Diego Ramirez: and then, of course, I call my mom and and my mom. didn't answer, of course. and and the next person that called was my my father, my dad!
594
01:06:14.570 --> 01:06:17.520
Diego Ramirez: And and I said Hefe!
595
01:06:18.210 --> 01:06:20.780
Diego Ramirez: And he's like, Hey me? Well, what happened in a mike.
596
01:06:21.740 --> 01:06:22.800
Diego Ramirez: We did it.
597
01:06:24.270 --> 01:06:25.260
Diego Ramirez: and
598
01:06:25.510 --> 01:06:30.129
Diego Ramirez: it was meant to be. It was meant to be that my dad was the first one I heard
599
01:06:30.310 --> 01:06:35.250
Diego Ramirez: the news. and for him to be.
600
01:06:36.370 --> 01:06:40.640
Diego Ramirez: know that although his sacrifice
601
01:06:40.830 --> 01:06:44.779
Diego Ramirez: and left his whole entire life, him and my mom
602
01:06:46.020 --> 01:06:59.460
Diego Ramirez: didn't get too barrier. some of our loved ones to give me a better future. Give my siblings a better future. And here it was. Here was the the fruit
603
01:06:59.510 --> 01:07:08.870
Diego Ramirez: of what he had planted. you know, back in 1992. And now his son was
604
01:07:09.130 --> 01:07:14.879
Diego Ramirez: the next, you know, full time, Professor, at A, you know, a nationally ranked college.
605
01:07:15.010 --> 01:07:21.940
Diego Ramirez: and Santa Barbara City College has always been. has played a huge part in our lives.
606
01:07:23.110 --> 01:07:27.800
Diego Ramirez: And and for my dad to be the first one that was, that's how it was meant to be.
607
01:07:28.470 --> 01:07:35.109
Diego Ramirez: And then, of course, you know, we I got into phone with everybody. Of course, everybody that starts calling and jumping on the on the phone call.
608
01:07:35.220 --> 01:07:36.500
Diego Ramirez: which is great.
609
01:07:37.130 --> 01:07:39.679
Diego Ramirez: And and yeah, so
610
01:07:40.110 --> 01:07:43.309
Diego Ramirez: and now my, my parents are are very proud.
611
01:07:43.640 --> 01:07:46.890
Diego Ramirez: We all. I'm sure they walk a little taller.
612
01:07:48.450 --> 01:07:52.720
Diego Ramirez: knowing that their their son is is, is, is
613
01:07:52.960 --> 01:07:54.700
Diego Ramirez: is now sitting
614
01:07:54.780 --> 01:07:58.740
Diego Ramirez: among the professors at at Santa Barbara City College.
615
01:07:58.780 --> 01:07:59.970
Diego Ramirez: but mostly.
616
01:08:00.270 --> 01:08:03.580
Diego Ramirez: I think that they walk proud because they know that.
617
01:08:04.040 --> 01:08:13.510
Diego Ramirez: and I hope they know that they did right. They did everything. le Chino, Lecherow, Ganas. and
618
01:08:13.700 --> 01:08:20.090
Diego Ramirez: we are here, and we are here representing them and our future generations. So
619
01:08:21.500 --> 01:08:22.970
Diego Ramirez: oh, man.
620
01:08:23.180 --> 01:08:26.370
Akil Hill: that was a lot of emotions there.
621
01:08:26.970 --> 01:08:32.139
Hong Lieu: It's just a beautiful story, man, and it's it's really profound, and and
622
01:08:32.229 --> 01:08:46.849
Hong Lieu: more than anything, what it what it tells me is that you know it. It really it takes a village like if there is a saying like, you know, it takes a village to raise, you know, to bring someone up, but it takes a lot of people like to support and to really keep people on that path like
623
01:08:46.850 --> 01:09:03.969
Hong Lieu: the part when you're talking about. When you asked your parents if if you could, you know, when you were going to school, and they told you they'd have tortillas on roof over your head. It's not just the fact that you you didn't need to support them necessarily. I mean you didn't. You didn't need them to support you. You also needed to know that
624
01:09:03.970 --> 01:09:29.059
Hong Lieu: that you didn't need to support them. Cause III thought about that with my parents a lot, too, where it was for a long time, you know, when we first got to to the country. It was really touch and go in terms of the whole family need to support each other like my parents were working, and they were bringing money in, but we need to support them because they're mental health. But from the whole process it's just frayed, and they're going through all kinds of stuff, and they're stressed all the time. And so so when you got to a point as an adult where you could go to school and do your thing
625
01:09:29.490 --> 01:09:40.470
Hong Lieu: and not just do a family thing, because everything you do like for me growing up. Everything I did was for the family. Everything I did was to make sure we were still able to maintain and survive in this country.
626
01:09:40.550 --> 01:10:09.240
Hong Lieu: you know. So so when you got to that point, were you able to say, Hey, I'm gonna go off to school and do something just for me. I mean, it was probably hard for you to do, because you felt where you started feeling selfish or guilty, or whatever like those kind of feelings like II definitely felt that all the way where, like, when you heard from them like it was okay. It was not just, you know, permission or whatever. It was. Also that they were okay, like they didn't need that support where you were lugging grocery bags on your bike, or you were, you know, doing all these things like you. You had gotten to a point where you were like
627
01:10:09.250 --> 01:10:20.989
Hong Lieu: somewhat settled as a family in America. And you know, for a lot of people take that, you know, people do take that for granted sometimes. but at the same time, like, Yeah, I mean, I just felt that how big that was, and how you can feel
628
01:10:21.030 --> 01:10:24.890
Hong Lieu: that that that mentality of like, how many people does it take
629
01:10:25.090 --> 01:10:33.980
Hong Lieu: to to create successful? So people, you know, we talk about capitalism. You talk about money being answer everything. But it's really people are the answer to everything you know, like it's
630
01:10:34.230 --> 01:10:45.349
Hong Lieu: it's those support systems. It's the support system that goes spoken and unspoken, where people there are some people that are like inn ear all the time, like I got you, man, I got you. I got you. But then there's just people that the things they do.
631
01:10:45.360 --> 01:10:52.909
Hong Lieu: You feel so supported? And you know parents are like that where my parents were not always, you know they were always telling me to go to school to that, but they weren't always like
632
01:10:52.940 --> 01:11:13.910
Hong Lieu: supportive parents, you know, in the classic sense, but they worked their butts off they they worked till they, you know, they worked to their eyes. Where is like, yeah. And they did what they could to support. And they showed that support, and I never felt unsupported. My mom didn't give me a hug until I was probably like 20 years old, like straight up, but I never felt like my mom did not love me, you know, like I never felt unsupported.
633
01:11:13.910 --> 01:11:24.509
Hong Lieu: so like. So people show their support in different ways. But that support is is key, and and the fact, you know, like, like you talk about your life being like, you know, like it did. This destiny is chosen one.
634
01:11:24.550 --> 01:11:33.520
Hong Lieu: You would not feel that way without that support throughout your life in Mexico here, and just and just the culmination of that seeing this path play out, I mean
635
01:11:33.680 --> 01:11:58.399
Hong Lieu: you. You. You got the best seat in the House, cause you gotta live it. But just hearing about it, I just felt that support throughout the whole process, you know, like III really came through. And it really just just shows when you talked about, you know, athletes and stuff talking about how they're. You know, they have to practice. Do all these reps. People put a lot on themselves as individuals, you know. People say, like athletic performances. It's up to me. It's up to me to do this up to me. But you really don't. You really have to appreciate everyone around you like
636
01:11:58.550 --> 01:12:16.370
Hong Lieu: your parents. I'll let you practice all that time, you know, like the folks that that put you in positions where you can do those things to be this individual that you are, I mean, that's the those support systems are are the key. And just like it's just a testament to to to how great a support system you had around you, or the conscious or not, and just you making the most of that.
637
01:12:16.620 --> 01:12:27.829
Hong Lieu: and not you know you're wasting that opportunity you took. You took the you took that baton you ran with it. You never look back and and look where you are manly. So yeah, Matt props all the way around.
638
01:12:28.120 --> 01:12:32.089
Akil Hill: you know. I'll say just a couple of things as well.
639
01:12:32.410 --> 01:12:49.719
Akil Hill: you know you, you know, by listening to your story. I you know I couldn't help it. Be emotional, and I'll probably be emotional right now, just because you know, you said that you hit the lottery when you got the job. And you know, after listening to your story, II have no doubt
640
01:12:49.960 --> 01:13:06.080
Akil Hill: and I think it. You actually hit the lotto when you were born into your family. Just thinking about your mom, you know, when you were telling we're talking about she's making food or selling food out of the garage, and it wasn't even in the garage, really.
641
01:13:06.230 --> 01:13:10.170
Akil Hill: You know just the sacrifices that you know.
642
01:13:10.250 --> 01:13:18.120
Akil Hill: You know our, our that our families makes, and what is really, I find you know extremely, you know, inspiring about your story is.
643
01:13:18.740 --> 01:13:24.409
Akil Hill: it's still being played out right now. But it's just with different different people
644
01:13:24.720 --> 01:13:28.369
Akil Hill: people that are still crossing. There's people still getting caught.
645
01:13:30.700 --> 01:13:32.699
Akil Hill: you know, there's people that
646
01:13:35.870 --> 01:13:40.590
Akil Hill: there's just people that making, you know real sacrifices out here for people, you know. And
647
01:13:40.650 --> 01:13:48.629
Akil Hill: and you know, that's it's yeah. It was powerful, I mean, I don't want to say anything more than that. But really touching Diego.
648
01:13:48.890 --> 01:13:50.699
Diego Ramirez: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
649
01:13:52.730 --> 01:13:55.939
Hong Lieu: Yeah. And and it's just it's just.
650
01:13:56.130 --> 01:13:57.170
Hong Lieu: I mean.
651
01:13:57.220 --> 01:14:09.989
Hong Lieu: we talk about the the ills of capitalism all the time. Capitalism at the day is an exploitative, terrible kind of system for a lot of people. But it it does, it does. There is that little wrinkle of opportunity.
652
01:14:10.100 --> 01:14:21.490
Hong Lieu: And so. seeing someone like you who made the most of that opportunity. Why are we so nowadays want to have those conversations about depriving folks of those opportunities.
653
01:14:21.720 --> 01:14:28.920
Hong Lieu: you know. And it's just one of those things where? Yeah, it's for me, I think about my, you know, as as refugees.
654
01:14:29.020 --> 01:14:51.280
Hong Lieu: I always tell tell people that I. You know we had a very difficult. We had a very hard as refugees from Vietnam. but at the same time the the folks crossing today have it way tougher, because, as refugees we were given. You know, my parents were given resident status. They were given jobs. They had a sponsor family as hard as it was for me. It's it's a lot harder
655
01:14:51.290 --> 01:15:03.759
Hong Lieu: for the folks today because they're not given any of that stuff, and they're still told. Okay, do you know. Here you go, do the best you can, and they do. People do. And people are are willing to make those sacrifices. And and
656
01:15:03.760 --> 01:15:27.479
Hong Lieu: you know, like we the the your story, you know you talk about just just like passing glance, like, Oh, yeah, you know, II was going to school of work. And same time I graduated high school like for me that that's the whole. That's a big chunk of how did you even get through high school in the middle school, learning English, doing all this stuff while you're working. Also, like there's so many pieces that you could stretch out to this huge thing of, like all the things you went through.
657
01:15:27.530 --> 01:15:48.510
Hong Lieu: But it's just it's just that's just what it was. You have no other choice but to keep keep grinding and keep going day after day, you know. So it's for you, you even. It's it's not like you're trying to trivialize it is that you? There's no explanation for what? How you did it. You just had to do it. There was like no other option, you know, and that's what people. That's why I explained to people like that all the time, like, you know, like
658
01:15:49.060 --> 01:16:03.069
Hong Lieu: it's just, I don't get a choice in a lot of things. Happiness is not my priority, like, I don't prioritize happiness. I just if there's something that needs to be done, I do my best to do it. And I will like, Yeah, grind within an inch of myself to get it done like like
659
01:16:03.070 --> 01:16:30.279
Hong Lieu: mental health and stuff like that. Where you're you're very cognizant in your mental health, I could tell, because you're willing to actually cry and be emotional where, where, you know, like a lot of folks are still really unwilling, and that probably is very helpful as well. But yeah, the for a lot of folks that mindset is is just get it done, and that's it. And that's all we know. And it's hard to to relate that. But at the same time it's it's good to hear your story. So people can find that context of like you see these. You see what what the it's not like. You look at it like some kind of
660
01:16:30.370 --> 01:16:37.540
Hong Lieu: like gambit like I have these many odds. I mean, it's like, you just have to try and do it. And and yeah, seen those results like.
661
01:16:37.640 --> 01:16:38.740
Hong Lieu: it's beautiful.
662
01:16:38.930 --> 01:16:49.199
Diego Ramirez: Thanks, man, thank you. Thank you. Appreciate that. And by the way, I did, I did live something out which is very, very, very dear to my heart.
663
01:16:50.120 --> 01:16:57.980
Diego Ramirez: I did become a us citizen. eventually. So I am a proud, us citizen
664
01:16:58.010 --> 01:17:01.810
Diego Ramirez: of this great country. And and and that was the
665
01:17:01.980 --> 01:17:11.159
Diego Ramirez: thanks to, thanks to you know, a lot of people like you say. but ultimately being able to be recognized as a human being
666
01:17:11.420 --> 01:17:17.280
Diego Ramirez: and not as a illegal alien. If, as as we put it back. I'll
667
01:17:17.370 --> 01:17:31.929
Diego Ramirez: what you mentioned when we have mentioned throughout this conversation. So I'm a proud, us citizen, and I do exercise my right to vote and all the other benefits that. Come with that.
668
01:17:33.600 --> 01:17:35.839
Hong Lieu: Thank you very much for your story, Diego.
669
01:17:35.890 --> 01:17:44.240
Hong Lieu: Just really moving, I mean as hard, as hard as it is, we we will segue into our next segment, which which kinda plays into it, or good eating
670
01:17:44.280 --> 01:17:58.939
Hong Lieu: our food section. So if you can if you wanted to kick us off, Diego, with a dish that you either made or have eaten recently, or something that's near to your heart throughout the years you mentioned talk with other. I don't know if that's what you're gonna go with. But yeah, you wanna kick us up.
671
01:17:59.130 --> 01:18:00.500
Diego Ramirez: Yeah.
672
01:18:00.510 --> 01:18:08.010
Diego Ramirez: the because we are in. We just celebrated Mex celebrated Mexican Independence Day last weekend
673
01:18:08.760 --> 01:18:18.229
Diego Ramirez: even though we've been here for close to 30 years. We still celebrate at my mom and my in our house, my mom's house.
674
01:18:18.510 --> 01:18:20.899
Diego Ramirez: and she
675
01:18:21.050 --> 01:18:22.820
Diego Ramirez: she made a posterle
676
01:18:22.880 --> 01:18:25.580
Diego Ramirez: last last week, but
677
01:18:26.000 --> 01:18:27.070
Diego Ramirez: you know we
678
01:18:27.080 --> 01:18:34.030
Diego Ramirez: we we always or not always. But we, you know. we we we made we're hearing that.
679
01:18:34.230 --> 01:18:37.790
Diego Ramirez: But bambasos.
680
01:18:37.850 --> 01:18:40.100
Diego Ramirez: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
681
01:18:40.270 --> 01:18:48.540
Diego Ramirez: yeah. So bombasels are. And and that was, that's something that I think that's like Top, you know. Top 5 for sure for me.
682
01:18:48.750 --> 01:18:51.929
Diego Ramirez: in there along with Daco's
683
01:18:52.450 --> 01:19:05.389
Diego Ramirez: more lever today, but I just had some last weekend at at my mom's. They're a little spicy this time, like, Hey, Mom, like, you know who made you? Who made you mad.
684
01:19:05.410 --> 01:19:19.340
Diego Ramirez: I can taste like like why, and I'm like a little spicy. And and so but yeah, II love. And II don't make them as as as often. But
685
01:19:19.690 --> 01:19:24.689
Diego Ramirez: when I do I can I can. I can tell down a few, Matt, and it's like
686
01:19:24.880 --> 01:19:29.690
Diego Ramirez: And then I also like I love. I love making
687
01:19:29.700 --> 01:19:31.890
Diego Ramirez: fresh tacos and Senator style.
688
01:19:32.590 --> 01:19:51.680
Diego Ramirez: and and that was something that that I learned my with from my mom's my my wife's side of the family. They're from a tijuana and sonata. So every time we go, and then my ma, my mother in law, you know, kind of taught me how to how to make them so. II love making that
689
01:19:51.750 --> 01:19:53.880
Diego Ramirez: now. Every now and then.
690
01:19:53.900 --> 01:19:56.170
Diego Ramirez: especially, we're.
691
01:19:56.180 --> 01:20:13.379
Diego Ramirez: you know, as as a as a Mexican or Latino family we. We grew up Catholic. So you know, during Lent. We. They're like, Yeah, when are you gonna make your dacles, you know. So that's something that I pride myself in for, sure. On Fridays.
692
01:20:13.800 --> 01:20:18.970
Diego Ramirez: when when during lantern enter every every here and there. I
693
01:20:19.310 --> 01:20:22.380
Diego Ramirez: I'm like, Hey, I'm gonna make some tacos. Let's go want some
694
01:20:22.640 --> 01:20:30.169
Diego Ramirez: some fish tacos do you have like? Do you have like that walk shaped like that kind of casso, you know, like
695
01:20:30.190 --> 01:20:38.470
Hong Lieu: cause I cause. I know I know some folks in La who do the fish talk with Ansonato style. They have that like flat bottom, like a walk almost, or it's got like the edges on the side, and you can like
696
01:20:38.530 --> 01:20:43.050
Hong Lieu: keep the fish. It's like a resting area for the fish, and then the oil in the middle.
697
01:20:43.090 --> 01:20:56.350
Diego Ramirez: I know I'm scared of those. I'm not. I don't know how to freakin. I don't know how to work those scared of those, so I just do it on a regular regular pad.
698
01:20:56.350 --> 01:21:14.119
Diego Ramirez: my mom does, my mom does. And and she, she's made so many things throughout her life. And and she she would, she will, but she usually uses those for like Gorditas, and like all yours that's usually what? Where, where she where she does those
699
01:21:14.530 --> 01:21:21.609
Diego Ramirez: by me. Now, man, I'm scared of my God! I feel I feel like it takes a specific type of talent
700
01:21:21.680 --> 01:21:24.390
Diego Ramirez: to utilize those that's just me.
701
01:21:25.670 --> 01:21:42.899
Hong Lieu: Yeah. And and the thing is like, it's almost like the the sushi chefs who you don't. You don't get a touch of knife for X amount of years. I feel like you don't get one of those until you like, you know, really like, are like, super down like you're like legit technical style like I. And then I guess, for folks that don't know like there's, you know.
702
01:21:43.290 --> 01:22:11.560
Hong Lieu: Pampaso is like a tortoise where, like you have a torta, and usually spoons over the sauce over the top afterwards. The pampaso is where you dip the bolillo in the saw like you kinda like. It's like almost branded in sauce and then grilled. So the bread will always have this like really rich hue. And and when Diego talks about it's spicier, sometimes like sometimes that bread looks dangerous where it's like looks like hot, like natural hot chicken where it's like dark red. And then you got that? Yeah. Oh, yeah. So the pampasa, I mean, is it?
703
01:22:11.560 --> 01:22:19.590
Diego Ramirez: Do you go anywhere to get a or just? Your mom is so good that you don't. If if I want at Bombasso. I've I've I've tried
704
01:22:19.920 --> 01:22:22.889
Diego Ramirez: ambassador's places.
705
01:22:23.010 --> 01:22:38.719
Diego Ramirez: but yeah, I know, especially when they start adding, You know, other stuff I come from like it's Mexico. So it Bombaso is is is a torriso or Longanisa with potatoes. Foam, that's it. And then the on the
706
01:22:38.990 --> 01:22:43.389
Diego Ramirez: dipped, you know, like you, said Pan. Fried bam, bam
707
01:22:43.970 --> 01:22:48.889
Diego Ramirez: or grill pan grilled, and then boom you put the
708
01:22:49.270 --> 01:22:59.340
Diego Ramirez: the sour cream. Guess for fresco and the lechuguga, and then boom! That's it, that's all you do right, or the green salsa, or red salsa, and on your on your
709
01:22:59.410 --> 01:23:02.270
Diego Ramirez: on on your preference.
710
01:23:02.620 --> 01:23:04.120
Diego Ramirez: And then so.
711
01:23:04.710 --> 01:23:10.460
Diego Ramirez: and that's usually where I when I make it or when I'm like craven one. I ask my mom.
712
01:23:10.680 --> 01:23:11.930
Diego Ramirez: And
713
01:23:12.190 --> 01:23:25.429
Diego Ramirez: and of course, my parents, my my siblings be like. Oh, of course, Diego asked it, ask for it, and everything gets made. But if I ask for something it takes years, or it takes months for them to for her to make it. I'm like, Hey, you know.
714
01:23:25.650 --> 01:23:45.289
Diego Ramirez: somebody has to be the favor in the family so but now, I usually ask my mom in a couple of days later, like the weekend should be like, Oh, I'm making phone muscles up like, Okay or or I make it myself. Like, I said, but it takes. It's it's it takes some work, man, I mean. It's it's it's not an easy thing that's not an easy dish to just be like, all right.
715
01:23:45.330 --> 01:24:08.150
Diego Ramirez: you know you did. 1, 2, 3. Now, yeah, you gotta prepare it. And you know, and obviously taste way better when my mom makes for sure. Yeah, it's easy if you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go. But if you gotta make everything individually. Oh, no, that's all day thing right there. But if you yeah, so absolutely. And as the and as the youngest son in my family, I definitely know where you're coming from. Terms of ask my mom for something. She's like.
716
01:24:08.150 --> 01:24:17.860
Hong Lieu: I got it. I got you 2 older sisters. Only only, boy, yeah, I got. I guess I definitely got some privilege in my family. So I'm not. I can't even like
717
01:24:17.980 --> 01:24:23.110
Diego Ramirez: yeah. And then another dish that II mentioned Mola Verde.
718
01:24:23.560 --> 01:24:25.509
Diego Ramirez: That is, every
719
01:24:25.740 --> 01:24:29.840
Diego Ramirez: every birthday people know that
720
01:24:30.030 --> 01:24:37.340
Diego Ramirez: it's gonna be more like Verde. So my next birthday I'll I'll I'll swing by and drop off a plate for each of you.
721
01:24:37.610 --> 01:24:58.030
Hong Lieu: It's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's, it's, it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's
722
01:24:58.110 --> 01:24:59.529
Diego Ramirez: yeah. It's it's a.
723
01:25:00.080 --> 01:25:07.679
Hong Lieu: It's. It's not VPN it's. Actually yeah, the the pumpkin seats. Pumpkin seats. Yeah. Pumpkin sees with
724
01:25:07.790 --> 01:25:09.370
Hong Lieu: with tomatillos
725
01:25:09.540 --> 01:25:16.439
Diego Ramirez: tomatillo. But actually, well, the one we make is is is a little bit different.
726
01:25:16.480 --> 01:25:29.009
Diego Ramirez: So you're gonna have to. II can't. I can't give up. Give away the the secret recipe. But but it has a some greedy leaves. Green leaf leafy
727
01:25:29.740 --> 01:25:34.230
Diego Ramirez: green leaf vegetables. And among those is
728
01:25:34.410 --> 01:25:41.070
Diego Ramirez: radish radish green leaves the tops, the tops of the radish.
729
01:25:41.220 --> 01:25:43.090
Akil Hill: Yeah. Hmm.
730
01:25:43.180 --> 01:26:03.610
Diego Ramirez: yeah. So, and it's amazing. Because when's your birthday
731
01:26:04.060 --> 01:26:05.599
Diego Ramirez: and we make it with pork?
732
01:26:06.380 --> 01:26:07.170
Yeah.
733
01:26:07.430 --> 01:26:21.909
Diego Ramirez: So there you go. My dad is a he. He likes to cost to eat that. So the the ribs, pork, ribs and it means like, don't give me boil. Give me give me port. Okay, so that's another reason why we make with both.
734
01:26:23.000 --> 01:26:31.220
Akil Hill: and you get that flavor mix. I mean, the queue might have to go, Poly only, but you know I don't do port. So. But yeah, that sounds awesome.
735
01:26:32.520 --> 01:26:44.729
Hong Lieu: Yeah. So thank you for sharing. I'll get recipes. It won't be. It won't be your your mom's recipe for mo more lever day, but I'll get recipes in the show notes. So folks at least know what we're talking about. And yeah, sounds good
736
01:26:45.660 --> 01:27:01.799
Hong Lieu: segwaying along. Let us do this higher learning. Diego, piece of culture, book, music, movie. anything that's that moved you now or throughout your life. You wanna yeah, just keep it moving, man, you holding it down for us, I think. Ii think.
737
01:27:02.360 --> 01:27:03.480
Diego Ramirez: the
738
01:27:03.720 --> 01:27:10.039
Diego Ramirez: I one of my cousins. Let me borrow a book it's called. It's all in the frioles.
739
01:27:10.440 --> 01:27:18.949
Diego Ramirez: And in that book. It's a it's a hundred famous Latinos we share real life stories.
740
01:27:19.140 --> 01:27:23.570
Diego Ramirez: You know, folk folk tales some details.
741
01:27:23.740 --> 01:27:36.849
Diego Ramirez: You know words of wisdom. It's by Yolanda Nava, and that every once in a while, you know you, you. I turn around and pick it up, and you know, just read a page or 2, just, you know, even though I've read it
742
01:27:36.960 --> 01:27:38.549
numerous times, but
743
01:27:38.890 --> 01:27:41.159
Diego Ramirez: you know it always keeps me.
744
01:27:41.320 --> 01:27:44.600
Diego Ramirez: Kimzi grounded in in in my culture, and Michael Dura.
745
01:27:44.810 --> 01:27:46.810
Diego Ramirez: excuse me
746
01:27:47.390 --> 01:27:55.220
Diego Ramirez: also, my my wife recently bought this this book it's called Nuestra America, which is
747
01:27:55.290 --> 01:28:06.589
Diego Ramirez: 30 s. Inspiring Latinas and Latinos who shape the United States. and one of them is my all time favorite one of my all time favorites is was Jaime Galante.
748
01:28:06.640 --> 01:28:13.139
Diego Ramirez: And as as stan and deliver be one of my favorite movies
749
01:28:13.320 --> 01:28:15.659
Diego Ramirez: that that represents.
750
01:28:15.720 --> 01:28:19.830
Diego Ramirez: You know what our struggle in education particularly.
751
01:28:19.890 --> 01:28:24.340
Diego Ramirez: And now that I you know, since I've been in this field for the last 9 years
752
01:28:24.680 --> 01:28:33.590
Diego Ramirez: II mentioned that during my interview process. That you know there's not. There was not a lot of Latinos that I can look up to
753
01:28:33.750 --> 01:28:38.369
Diego Ramirez: but in seventh grade I got a chance to meet Jaime Escalante.
754
01:28:38.470 --> 01:28:40.899
Diego Ramirez: He came to Covenant Middle School
755
01:28:41.110 --> 01:28:51.209
Diego Ramirez: to, you know. He he came to do give a speech to the school, and I have still have a treasured us picture of me
756
01:28:51.340 --> 01:29:01.089
Diego Ramirez: him giving me an autograph like we're standing next to like in front of each other. and that's pretty cool. I'll I'll share that with you. So you guys can put on the show notes
757
01:29:01.100 --> 01:29:04.760
Diego Ramirez: and that had a profound impact on me for sure
758
01:29:04.980 --> 01:29:17.690
Diego Ramirez: of of being. And then I saw, of course, standard and delivered. I'm like, what like, how this is crazy. So that that really that really helped me solidify. Why, I wanted to be in this field
759
01:29:18.130 --> 01:29:24.230
Diego Ramirez: because there's so many, you know, the relatability of our students and that
760
01:29:24.650 --> 01:29:25.850
Diego Ramirez: and that hope.
761
01:29:26.390 --> 01:29:32.949
Diego Ramirez: As a matter of fact, I still have it in in my, on my email signature. You have to have ganas.
762
01:29:33.040 --> 01:29:41.499
Diego Ramirez: So I know that that's that's something that it always, you know, you have to have the got us to do to do what it is, whatever it is you want to do. You have to have got us to do it.
763
01:29:41.790 --> 01:29:48.979
Diego Ramirez: and then, of course, then you get into more profound stuff, or like not more profound, but like more
764
01:29:49.120 --> 01:29:56.209
Diego Ramirez: more, like, you know, just lifestyle stuff that. I that I never knew till I saw it, and it was
765
01:29:56.290 --> 01:30:02.789
Diego Ramirez: Blood and blood out. And that movie. you know what rich, you know, had tremendous
766
01:30:03.060 --> 01:30:25.829
Diego Ramirez: impact on a lot of us young individuals, you know, in the in the late eighties, early nineties, and you know, into the thousands like early thousands. Now, the other day, you know, somebody was mentioning about like, Oh, American, me! And I was just like, like, Oh, yeah, you know. And then, like, they're like, Oh, have you ever seen blood in blood? I'm like, man, you serious.
767
01:30:25.880 --> 01:30:27.260
Diego Ramirez: Of course I
768
01:30:27.350 --> 01:30:40.290
Diego Ramirez: seen blood and blood out, and they're like, Oh, coach, how did you be on. What do you think, you know? And then, you know, like, are you just? Oh, my God!
769
01:30:40.410 --> 01:30:54.740
Diego Ramirez: And then, of course.
770
01:30:54.920 --> 01:31:00.260
Diego Ramirez: my family! Me familiar. that's that's another one that that
771
01:31:00.330 --> 01:31:02.210
Diego Ramirez: that I like, that I truly like
772
01:31:02.250 --> 01:31:04.039
Diego Ramirez: and in.
773
01:31:04.230 --> 01:31:10.850
Diego Ramirez: And that's that represents a lot of our our culture, right? That that we, and most recently
774
01:31:10.880 --> 01:31:13.089
Diego Ramirez: a million miles away.
775
01:31:14.040 --> 01:31:19.269
Diego Ramirez: that that is on on prime prime video Jose Hernandez.
776
01:31:19.850 --> 01:31:25.580
Diego Ramirez: who is the first Mexican to to fly into space.
777
01:31:25.600 --> 01:31:39.990
Diego Ramirez: and he was he did. He worked. He was a first migrant migrant worker. He worked in the fields here throughout California. And it's a really good movie. Obviously, my wife and I watched it. My son was watching it.
778
01:31:40.120 --> 01:31:43.209
Diego Ramirez: I think it was. It was great for him to see that.
779
01:31:43.280 --> 01:31:56.130
Diego Ramirez: Because you know, it speaks about the the hard work, the dedication, the sacrifice you're willing to make, and and how you you what you put in is what you're gonna get out.
780
01:31:56.580 --> 01:32:02.700
Diego Ramirez: And so so that those those are some of the movies that have had impact in my life.
781
01:32:03.240 --> 01:32:13.499
Diego Ramirez: And some of the folks have had an impact. My life, of course, can can't go can go on without mentioning Christina. And don't, Francisco.
782
01:32:13.580 --> 01:32:18.050
Diego Ramirez: of course, and and and Chapel Delocho chapuling Colorado
783
01:32:18.270 --> 01:32:32.659
Diego Ramirez: and of course, in in sports Jorge Campos, who was a Goalie, my favorite goalie. Well, the bad Mexican national team goal. Yeah. I remember you remember him and and his outfits. II still want to
784
01:32:32.750 --> 01:32:35.959
Diego Ramirez: either purchase one. I can't. I haven't been able to find one.
785
01:32:36.120 --> 01:32:48.200
Diego Ramirez: That that I can have that I can put on my wall. But or you know, make my you know. have somebody make one for me. And so that
786
01:32:48.820 --> 01:32:56.660
Diego Ramirez: and and yeah, so tho those are, those are some of the folks that have have definitely influence. But above all, my parents.
787
01:32:57.000 --> 01:33:00.550
Diego Ramirez: my parents, who who you know, who
788
01:33:00.740 --> 01:33:04.789
Diego Ramirez: embrace their culture, and they've always told us, you know
789
01:33:05.080 --> 01:33:14.630
Diego Ramirez: you have to speak Spanish. You have to. Don't let go of those roots, and as carried on, you know, especially for me. Now as a as a parent.
790
01:33:14.690 --> 01:33:17.180
Diego Ramirez: My parents, my kids, speak
791
01:33:17.210 --> 01:33:24.250
Diego Ramirez: Spanish here at home. We don't speak to them in English. even when they watch Netflix and or any of these other?
792
01:33:24.350 --> 01:33:40.639
Diego Ramirez: So you know, I'm like, hey, isn't it? In Spanish? They're like, Oh, we wanna watch in English, you know, because they have friends who mainly speak English, and but I think that that goes a long way. And and that's gonna set them up for for for success.
793
01:33:40.690 --> 01:33:43.950
Diego Ramirez: particularly as a minority student.
794
01:33:43.980 --> 01:33:49.849
Diego Ramirez: When they when they move on to higher education and whatever they wanna do, I know how much it helped me.
795
01:33:50.040 --> 01:33:53.260
Diego Ramirez: and and those, and that those roots
796
01:33:53.350 --> 01:33:56.719
Diego Ramirez: that you have as you move. Along in life.
797
01:33:59.610 --> 01:34:14.430
Hong Lieu: Absolutely well, said Great Picks. You know you warmed you warmed my East LA heart as someone who grew up in East Los with Jaime Escalante, who was a teacher at Garfield High School in East LA. And with blood and blood out, which, like, I said, is.
798
01:34:14.430 --> 01:34:35.149
Hong Lieu: I mean that that movie, like it, carried like all of these delay. And it's now gone nationwide, worldwide as a true classic, and like, Oh, man Elpino, on the corner of Folsom and Indiana streets, if you ever feel like making a pilgrimage, look it up on your Google Maps. It's still there. You can still park right where you know, and and walk up
799
01:34:35.300 --> 01:34:41.749
Hong Lieu: right where Miklow was chilling with with before before he got locked up. I so
800
01:34:42.160 --> 01:34:46.309
Hong Lieu: just absolutely great pics. I'll put all those links in the show notes.
801
01:34:46.730 --> 01:35:04.450
Hong Lieu: and really your picks have this common theme of. You know, we we get lost. It's kind of objective theory and things of that sort a lot of times. But the book you mentioned and stuff talking about individual stories, I think, and hearing your story today. Those individual stories are so powerful and so important because
802
01:35:04.450 --> 01:35:22.059
Hong Lieu: it we all know, kind of overarching overall what we should do. But the circumstances of life kind of get in the way kind of get in the way, and and and and present challenges and obstacles, and just hearing about how other people other folks overcame those challenges. And how are the folks, you know, mitigated those challenges reconcile those
803
01:35:22.060 --> 01:35:45.099
Hong Lieu: th. Those are to me are the most powerful experiences for me. I like, I like hearing about those individual journeys. So those books. So you know, with the with with 30 30 stories or 100 stories, seeing those individual stories, and how different they are, but being able to tie those back together with those common objective themes that we learn about. You know, in academic settings and things that sort, that to me is the the best kind of learning where you can take individual
804
01:35:45.100 --> 01:35:56.800
Hong Lieu: journeys and pursuits, and tie those into the things that we learned that we're supposed to do and realize that that that gray area in between of what we're supposed to do and how we get there. That's that's life, you know. And that's
805
01:35:57.050 --> 01:36:00.029
Hong Lieu: that's what makes a life worth living and powerful. So
806
01:36:00.440 --> 01:36:02.560
Diego Ramirez: yeah, thank you for that. Appreciate that.
807
01:36:03.500 --> 01:36:04.810
Hong Lieu: Yeah. So
808
01:36:04.850 --> 01:36:24.419
Hong Lieu: so I will get links and shown us. I hope folks do check all those things out. Because, yeah, Mexican Independence Day was last week. We are in the middle of Hispanic heritage month, and the picks that Diego has mentioned today. I mean true higher learning. You know whether you learn behind Mexicante, or you watch, stand, and deliver. You read any of his books? You know.
809
01:36:24.420 --> 01:36:37.640
Hong Lieu: Watch blood and blood out, please, do III can't. I can't tell. I'm moving enough, I mean yes, it's one of those things like, you know. It's like Scarface to the godfather and stuff where you can look it out. That like, it's a gangster movie on on one level. But just again
810
01:36:37.900 --> 01:36:55.039
Hong Lieu: life experiences it and blend and blood out is nice because it tells. You know, the path of an entire life. So it's it's a. It's a very long in terms of years. And just just the more you stretch out those those timelines and chronology, the more you can learn about culture and experiences across the entire spectrum of generations.
811
01:36:55.080 --> 01:36:59.920
Hong Lieu: the better off you will be, I mean, we like to live in the now be in the present, look to the future.
812
01:36:59.990 --> 01:37:26.540
Hong Lieu: but the past and our history and our culture. When you mentioned when you gave a nod to your ancestors, Diego. That was, that was really hard work for me as someone who's family. Our primary religion was ancestor worship, you know, like we're not Buddhists. We're not this. We had a shrine to our grandparent, you know, great grandparents, and everyone that came before. Is my house, because that was the reminder of like your ancestors help put you here as well, so don't never forget that, and I never do. And those are important pieces, too. So absolutely.
813
01:37:27.030 --> 01:37:38.399
Hong Lieu: this is an important document in terms of getting getting those pieces of culture out for more people. I will watch. I'll try to watch a million miles away, cause I heard about it, but haven't had a time to check it out. So th this is definitely kind of the the nudge to check it out. So
814
01:37:38.690 --> 01:37:41.769
Hong Lieu: so thank you for all that. I'll get all the show notes.
815
01:37:42.540 --> 01:38:05.279
Hong Lieu: thank you for for coming on show today. I knew it was gonna be a good time, and and truly, truly an amazing special, special special episode, you know, if you if you're not touched by by the things you heard in the episode today, then II don't know what to do for you. But, Diego, any, any last words for us before you go. Any final parting, parting words about life in the center, or anything else before we say goodbye.
816
01:38:05.850 --> 01:38:10.110
Diego Ramirez: Oh, the only thing I would say is, you know you have to have the ghana's
817
01:38:10.340 --> 01:38:15.429
Diego Ramirez: come down say, Hi! To us. I know we are.
818
01:38:15.610 --> 01:38:24.779
Diego Ramirez: you have to come and do some work in terms of getting on a treadmill, or on a bike, or or doing some weight training, whatever it may be but
819
01:38:24.800 --> 01:38:37.279
Diego Ramirez: overall a a, as I said, and settle into this new position. My goal. is, is to to bring community together and make it a a more welcoming environment?
820
01:38:37.370 --> 01:38:45.350
Diego Ramirez: Then then we have. Then we have had and and and we are we are. We strive to do that for all of us.
821
01:38:45.480 --> 01:38:50.629
Diego Ramirez: Because it's much, much it's a much better place when you are welcome.
822
01:38:50.930 --> 01:38:52.630
and you
823
01:38:52.890 --> 01:38:55.150
Diego Ramirez: and you can. You can be yourself.
824
01:38:55.470 --> 01:39:00.669
Diego Ramirez: and I hope that I can. I can. I can bring that to our students.
825
01:39:00.780 --> 01:39:07.059
Diego Ramirez: our faculty, our staff, our administrators overall, you know. It's a it's a great place to be
826
01:39:07.830 --> 01:39:16.360
Diego Ramirez: and and with that said, Thank you very much for the invites. I didn't know how it was gonna go. I hope they I didn't do that bad.
827
01:39:16.660 --> 01:39:27.249
Diego Ramirez: and and and so but thank you so much. Gracias, gracias, gracias. Yes, the
828
01:39:27.380 --> 01:39:53.479
Hong Lieu: please yeah. Come down. Life in the center. Make the most of the facility, and or, if you get the chance, take a class, Diego, let him let him walk you running through straight training. You know the conditioning stuff.
829
01:39:53.600 --> 01:40:21.829
Hong Lieu: II feel like II should do that as well. But again, just just thank you. I mean that you talk about doing good or bad on this show. We we value, you know, just honest, you know, honesty and our authentic selves, and and just a glimpse into your life. I mean, II I'm grateful that you Re, you know you shared with us today. I'm just like it's just that's that's what the show is all about. It's like we, we try to make it comfortable enough for folks to share. And and yeah, we get there to certain extent. But yeah, I feel like, I feel like.
830
01:40:21.850 --> 01:40:29.109
Hong Lieu: Thank you. Just thank you. Cause it. It. It takes it's a concerted effort between all of us, you know, in agreement with the show. So
831
01:40:29.720 --> 01:40:30.600
Diego Ramirez: thank you.
832
01:40:31.010 --> 01:40:32.109
Hong Lieu: Thank you very much.
833
01:40:32.200 --> 01:40:34.050
Hong Lieu: Alright. Akil
834
01:40:34.860 --> 01:40:44.680
Hong Lieu: thank you for another episode. Thank you, Diego. Again. Take care y'all till next time. This was Vaquero voices. Have a good evening or afternoon. Y'all take care, bye.