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Jump students. Her college advisor noticed that she "lit up" every time she spoke about her mentoring work and asked her whether she had ever thought about becoming a teacher. It wasn't something she'd ever considered, but it made perfect sense. F or Eliza Ramirez '02, teachers made all the difference. It was the teachers in her West Town neighborhood school who first saw potential in Ramirez and recommended her for High Jump, an academic enrichment program for talented middle school students with limited economic means. And it was teachers at High Jump who encouraged Ramirez to apply to Latin for high school, confident that she could handle the school's challenging curriculum and that she would thrive. Nevertheless, Ramirez says, adjusting to her new school was not always easy. "Being at Latin definitely challenged me on a regular basis," she says. "That wasn't what I was accustomed to." She quickly mastered the rigorous work – and found she actually enjoyed it. "It was new to me, being challenged and finding that I could actually do as well as or better than I was expected to do." She took her love of learning with her to the University of Chicago, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees. Today, Ramirez challenges her own students on a daily basis, as a seventh- and eighthgrade reading and writing teacher at Emiliano Zapata Academy in Little Village. In 2011, her exceptional work in the classroom was recognized with the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her passion for teaching emerged early, but she didn't identify it as such until later. Throughout high school and during her undergraduate years, Ramirez mentored High For inspiration in her classroom, Ramirez frequently refers back to her Latin experience. Ramirez recalls an honors chemistry class with Martin "Scooter" Thompson, which, she says, did not go well. "It was the first time I'd ever gotten a C." That's when Ramirez learned firsthand the power of a great teacher. "Scooter was very supportive and helped me to learn the material that was initially so far beyond my reach. He supported me and encouraged me to reach my goals." Her English teachers at Latin were similarly influential, Ramirez says. "German Urioste and Billy Lombardo both had a big impact on my life. They're two of the main reasons I became a reading and writing teacher." "German Urioste and Billy Lombardo both had a big impact on my life. They're two of the main reasons I became a reading and writing teacher." Both, Ramirez explains, shared a desire to expose students to complex texts and a dedication to ensuring students fully engaged with them and understood them. "One of the reasons I was very successful in college and graduate school, and why I'm able to help my students tackle challenging texts, is because of those teachers. " Ramirez has fond memories of many other teachers at Latin who inspired and motivated her. These are lessons she applies daily in her own teaching. "Part of the reason I've chosen to be in an urban teaching setting is I believe the quality education I received at Latin should be used to its best potential. And I believe students in public schools should have access to the best education, to help them move their communities forward." n Latin School of Chicago 27