Victor Ramos, FACES Oakland alum Class of 2008, graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2012 with a B.A. in sociology. During his time there, Victor participated in a Latin dance troupe, using the arts and dance to promote social awareness. Following graduation, Victor worked at the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center as a prevention educator. Victor is currently enrolled in the graduate program in Counseling at St. Mary’s College of California, where he will pursue a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, and he concurrently works as a Case Manager at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center in Hayward. Victor’s goal is to work with and counsel inner city youth and their families who are dealing with addiction.
Victor shares, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style”. He adds, “FACES in general provided me a space to grow as a man and to be able to learn who I actually was. The program surrounded me with people who believed in me and pushed me to strive for success. With out FACES or the mentors, my life would be completely different. I owe part of my success to FACES.”