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WM: Empathy and Humility

The son of two nurses, Jacob Ramirez ’25 knew he wanted to pursue a career in health care, but he was originally unsure what exactly.

Jacob Ramirez ’25His father encouraged him to set his sights on medical school, but Ramirez wanted to keep his options open as he began at Wabash intending to major in biology.

“I had physical therapy in the back of my head coming to Wabash,” Ramirez says. “I knew there were other doors within health care that would be open for me; I just wasn’t confident in how to get there.” 
He took the advice of his fraternity brother, Francisco Jimenez ’24, to check out Wabash’s Global Health Initiative (GHI).

“Francisco was also a biology major, interested in medical school, and was from Texas—roughly 20 minutes from where I’m from. It was like we were walking in the same shoes,” says Ramirez, who is from Alamo, Texas. “He was passionate about the GHI and I valued his opinion, so I decided to give it a chance.”

The GHI is a collection of opportunities that allow students to learn about and work in public health through coursework and service in communities locally, regionally, and internationally.

GHI students have served in various roles, including working for public health organizations like the Montgomery County Health Department, Franciscan Health, Crooked Creek Food Pantry, Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, and Shaping Our Appalachian Region Inc. (SOAR). 

“The students shared stories about their internships and how those experiences left a positive impact on them, the communities, and the people they served,” Ramirez says. “I thought that was inspiring.”

Ramirez joined the program his sophomore year and spent three weeks that summer providing health assistance to impoverished communities across Peru, South America, alongside GHI-Peru.

He enjoyed participating in Corazones Excepcionales (“Exceptional Hearts” or COEX), one of GHI-Peru Association’s programs that teaches speaking, reading, and fundamental life skills to children with Down syndrome.

Jacob Ramirez ’25Having grown up with a sister who has Down syndrome, Ramirez felt a personal connection to the families he met. 
“When I was working with the kids, I kept thinking about my sister,” he says. “I loved seeing the smiles on their faces. When they had smiles on their faces, I had a smile, and when they didn’t, I worked to change that.” 
Professor of Biology and GHI Director Eric 亚洲通tzel was with Ramirez the following summer when he returned to Peru as part of 亚洲通tzel’s global health class.

“Jacob came in with this sense of pride and wanting to give back,” 亚洲通tzel says. “He recognized the reality of how difficult it can be for some communities to access health care and was drawn to the work we do in Peru.” 
亚洲通tzel says Ramirez stood out as a leader while providing a range of services to Peruvians, including tutoring and translating.

“It felt like a big homecoming,” explains 亚洲通tzel, who has been leading the Peru immersion experience for more than a decade. “Jacob is beloved by all—the health care workers, program leaders, women in the community, the kids.

“There’s a group photo that was taken after one of our workshops that summer. He’s standing in the center, with a big smile on his face, holding hands with one of the older ladies who receives services,” 亚洲通tzel says. “That image perfectly captures the trust, relationships, and connections he made within the community. There’s so much empathy and humility there.”

Thanks to a collaboration with Scott Rathgaber ’84, CEO of Gundersen Health System, Ramirez spent last summer as an intern at St. Clare Health Mission in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The local free health clinic provides care for underserved and uninsured residents in the region. Ramirez assisted in reception and social work and was responsible for a wide range of tasks, from digitizing patient information to visiting rural farms and underserved communities with physicians.

“Jacob’s work at the clinic expanded his experience of the challenges of health care for those who are underserved,” says Rathgaber, who also housed Ramirez in his home for the duration of his internship. “He saw the challenges and barriers these souls navigate to gain access to care. It helped deepen his compassion and empathy.” 
During his time in Wisconsin, Ramirez also had the opportunity to shadow various departments at Gundersen Health System, including physical therapy, which he had grown more curious about as a health care career option.

That experience solidified his plans post-Wabash. 

“The high-quality care, strong provider-patient relations, and emphasis on continued education I observed during my shadowing periods all emboldened my goal of continuing my education in a physical therapy program,” says Ramirez, who is specifically interested in pediatrics.

“The time I got to spend with the kids while shadowing the therapy department brought  me the most happiness,” he says. “Watching their progression week-to-week and seeing the patients excited to see me when they met with their therapists was rewarding. I realized this is where I need to be.”

Associate Professor of Biology Heidi Walsh watched Ramirez interact with children last year when her physiology class hosted Brains and Bodies Day at Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County. Each student in the class came up with activities and demonstrations about the human body to showcase to local kids.

“He was completely at ease with the kids,” Walsh says. “He always had a smile on his face and knew how to talk to them in a way that made them feel comfortable and confident.

“Those interpersonal skills are where he really shines,” she continues. “As you can imagine, it is probably scary for some kids to have to go through any type of medical challenge. I’m confident having a physical therapist like Jacob will bring ease to those kids and their families.”

Ramirez is spending his summer with family in Texas, where he will brush up on anatomy at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He then hopes to devote a year working as a physical therapy aide while applying to physical therapy graduate programs in Texas and Indiana.

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