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Twila Ramirez

Biography

Profile: Twila Ramirez has a warm, pleasant way about her.  People feel comfortable around her and she has an easy smile and a calming presence.   She was the perfect student at Reading Area Community College (RACC) to emcee the annual awards assembly on April 29, 2011.  Twila, the mother of four, got a late start on college but fit right in and was a fixture on the campus.  To know Twila and what she is all about, one needs to go back in time some 20 years.  Right out of high school Twila postponed college for a Bible Mission Trip to Mexico.  As a story about her in the Reading Eagle reported, “Twila waited twenty years to begin college...first came humanitarian service in Mexico, followed by love, and then motherhood, delayed her plans.” It was in Mexico serving as a missionary that she met her husband, Gustavo, an ordained minister. Back in Pennsylvania, she and Gustavo oversee the Hope of the Nations Christian Center in Reading.

Inspiration:  Twila said Dr. Donna Singleton at RACC was one of the most influential people she had ever met.  “She is head of the Honors Program, a full-time faculty member in the Humanities department, and absolutely brilliant at what she says and does,” Twila said.  “It is not her intelligence that has influenced me most.  It is her willingness to see people for who they are and love them likewise.  She is honest, yet considerate; introspective, yet open enough to share her own experiences; quiet, yet opinionated in an inspiring way; and she embraces her teaching as a rewarding lifestyle.”  Twila often thought that Dr. Singleton could be teaching anywhere, so why community college?  “I think it's because she wants everyone to know that someone believes in them – a sentiment she successfully portrays to all her students.”

Aspiration:  She hopes to earn an undergraduate degree in political science with a focus on Public Administration/Pre-Law, and eventually become an immigration attorney, public sector worker, and/or run for public office.

Making a Difference: Twila said she is most proud of “being a mother of four lovely girls, and being a wife to my husband for 18 years...Motherhood has far exceeded my expectations in all the good ways.  It is not always easy, but the hard work of maintaining a strong family unit is something to be proud of - at least in my book.”

Accolades:  Twila won the RACC Honors Program Award for the 2010-2011 academic year, as well as the Sonia M. Briskin Award.  She also earned the Pre-Law/Public Administration Award for being top of the class in her area of study.  She was chosen as Graduate of the Year for 2011 at RACC and was featured in the local newspaper and evening television news.

Interesting Fact: Twila was born into a family of Amish background as the sixth of nine children (seven girls, two boys). Although all of the family has since left that community, she is grateful for what it taught her - such as a strong work ethic and the importance of family ties.

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