Evelyn (“Evie”) Pazos Ramirez is excited about having graduated from SBCC in spring 2023 and being the first in her family to earn a college degree. She’s thankful for the SBCC Promise, which covered the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies during her two years. Evie says, “Thanks to the SBCC Promise, I was able to attend Santa Barbara City College and access the endless resources and opportunities that have helped me grow as a person and advance in my career path.”
Starting out in college during the pandemic was a challenge, but things took off during her second year as she got more involved, participating in clubs and extracurricular activities.
“I promised myself that I would do more of what I enjoy doing, which is helping others. I joined the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and as well as the Communication Honor Society: Sigma Chi Eta as the Events Coordinator,” Evie said. “I also joined the Associated Student Government (ASG) and was appointed as the Commissioner of Events.” During her tenure, she worked with fellow students to bring back a campus celebration of Día de Los Muertos, an inaugural SBCC Olympics tournament, and the second “Unity in the Community” event that celebrates cultures and heritages from around the world.
A communications major, Evie discovered many of her passions at SBCC, which include organizing events for people to enjoy, and being an advocate for equal representation of Latinas in the U.S. legislature. She and others from ASG attended a conference in Washington, D.C. and met with staff from the offices of U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal and Senator Alex Padilla.
“The following month, I was invited to another conference from HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) at the California State Capitol, where we attended the Latina Action Day event and lobbied assembly members for their support of Senate Bill 702 for equality in representation, introduced by Senator Monique Limón,” Evie recalled. She feels empowered by her experiences at SBCC and looks forward to continuing to share her story with the world, pursuing her passions, and creating change. She is looking forward to transferring to UC Santa Barbara in the fall.
“Dora the Explorer was my childhood hero, as she was the only person who looked like me growing up. However, as I further myself in my career, I hope to one day be a childhood hero for the other little Evelyns in the world.”
