My Education Journey
IN MEMORY OF MY PARENTS, JAMES “JIM” STEVENS RAMON BOT AND ANGELITA RAMON BOT
BY ANSELMO RAMON, TOHONO O’ODHAM
Je’e bot, ‘O:g bot
My Mom Angelita, with me in tow, and expecting my younger sister Rose, and my Dad James “Jim” stationed in California United States Army
Imig – O’odham Family Structure
Brothers and Sisters
My parents had 7 children, 5 boys and 2 girls, and another girl who passed away when she was a baby.
(L-R)Aloysius, Gabriel, Bernadette, my Aunt, Rose Ann in the background, Anselmo (me), and my oldest brother Michael. Freddrick is not pictured.
The Importance of School and Work
My Parents always expected each of us to go to school every day. Growing up we all knew that we would go to work. It was a value that we saw in our parents, and they expected us to work as part of our responsibility, as it is directly related to O’odham Culture. My parents were proud of all of us when we showed that we wanted to work during summers, weekends, and holidays. My dad would take me to work with him during the summers and taught me and my older brothers how to farm, drive tractors, and how to irrigate acres of cotton, corn, and seasonal crops. If for any reason we didn’t want to go to school, we had to first clear it with our mom. The answer was usually ‘no, you can’t stay home, you have to go to school’. My parents made it clear that we should always keep speaking O’odham and not to forget the way of life we had in learning what O’odham Himdag means to us. My mom would scold us if we were speaking too much English in the house, especially when I was very young and in public school. She would expect us to speak O’odham.
High School Success vs Dropping Out
Out of four brothers and two sisters in our family, five graduated from high school and two dropped out. I was one of the dropouts, along with my third oldest brother, “Al”.
At the age of 24, my oldest brother who graduated high school, became the first O’odham to earn his private pilot’s license. He did attend some junior college and almost completed his AA as a heavy equipment operator. He currently lives in Sells, Arizona on the Tohono
O’odham Reservation. He has served in many roles helping O’odham with translation, social service, and was at one time a Police officer on the Tohono O’odham Nation. He is also a musician. He plays piano, guitar, saxophone, flue, and sings. All of my family members are musicians, except for my youngest sister.
My oldest sister recently graduated from the University of Phoenix in May 2022 with her B.A. in Public Health and Human Resources. She currently works remotely with the State of Arizona. She played the flute in high school.
High School Success vs Dropping Out (cont.)
My second oldest brother was a heavy equipment operator and held various jobs, and then became a nurse’s aide. He played bass guitar, guitar, drums, saxophone, and the trombone.
My third oldest brother completed high school and enjoyed work in Culinary Arts. He has worked in several restaurants in Tucson and Utah. Most notably at the Olive Garden. He also had a passion for auto mechanics. He played bass guitar and drums.
My fourth oldest brother dropped out of high school in the 9th grade. He enjoyed auto mechanics and became a musician. He was an athlete and baseball was his sport. He was scouted by colleges while still in Jr. High School. He played accordion, bass guitar, guitar, and drums.
My youngest sister graduated high school and pursued a career as a dental assistant. She works at the dental office on the Tohono O’odham Reservation. She, too, is an advocate for UNITY Runners, Grieving families, and the youth.
A Success Story – A Return to the Values My Parents Taught Me About in Education, Work, and Being O’odham
I dropped out of High School at the end of my 10th grade year. I worked on the farm for several years before I decided that what was expected of me by my parents was the right way to go. I was 16 when I realized that I didn’t want to work in a cotton field at 105 degrees every summer for the rest of my life.
I returned to high school and made it up to my senior year, but I didn’t pass my final math exam, so I did not have the credits to graduate. I chose to get my GED so that I could start business school. I already had a scholarship waiting for me as I was being sponsored by the Tucson Indian Center. I really wanted to enter the computer field as I found that to be fascinating. I completed a 1.5 year program in “Data Process for Small Business”. While in school, I secured a job with a temp agency and was hired as a part-time custodian at the Tucson International Airport.
A Return to the O’odham Work Values
My Parents Expected of Me
After business school, I couldn’t find a job in the area of my business training. As usual, I would go visit my mom and have lunch with her and my dad if he was working close by.
One day, my mom told me about a job at the local elementary school. It was called an “Indian Aide”. I didn’t really know what that was, so I asked my mom, and she told me that I was to help the “O’g”, O’odham word for Native people of all tribes. I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time, but after several visits in speaking to my mom she encouraged me to apply. I finally did since I could not find a job in the computer field at the time, as I had no experience. I was interviewed and was hired as the “Indian Aide” at Estes Elementary School, the same school I attended as a child when I didn’t speak any English.
When I was finishing up my Business education, my mom told me to then look into what is called in O’odham, “Kekel Ha-Mascamakud”. The place where ‘old’ or ‘older’ people go to school.
What is an Indian Aide?
My position as an “Indian Aide” was funded by the JOM and Title VII grant. This job was to assist Native American Children in improving their academic skills. This also included attendance, family engagement, and getting the children to open up and participate more in the classroom.
After the first several months, I saw that I had very little time to work with the Native American children in the subjects they were struggling with such as math, reading, and writing. I calculated that I only had 2.5 hours per week to work with Native American children in the k-5 setting.
I approached the Assistant Superintendent about my concern, and he replied, “Re-write your work schedule and get back to me and we will discuss it”.
The Realization of the Need to Advocate for Native American Children in Public School
The step I took to address my schedule as an “Indian Aide” to provide more one-toone support to the Native American Children in that Elementary School began my career as an advocate for Native American Children in Education. At the time, I addressed it because it was the right thing to do for them. Not only was I able to spend more time with students, but I was also able to expand the program to include Native culture that included the arts.
I began to recruit more parents to our monthly JOM meetings and encouraged them to bring their kids. I started tutoring sessions in reading and math after school and on Saturday mornings at the local library. Eventually, I was able to work with the school administration to have a summer school session specifically for Native American children in the Title III program. I was not a teacher at the time, so I served as the “Indian Aide” to the summer program.
The Realization of the Need to Advocate for Native American Children in Public School (cont.)
The Aide to the African American Program noticed that I was advocating for the Native students and asked me to join her team to work for Pima County Parks and Recreation during the summer months. She stated that it was difficult to recruit the Native American Children in the summer program even though it was free and offered activities and field trips to water parks, bowling, skating, and the movies. I accepted the offer, and we began to see more Native Students participate in the summer programs offered by Pima County Parks and Recreation. They also made new friends and will always have good memories of having fun during the summer. Most of them, if not all of them, had never been to a water park or even been bowling! Two of the young girls I worked with at the high school eventually went on to the University of Arizona and graduated with bachelor’s degrees! Others did pursue education; however, most chose to enter the workforce.
While employed as an “Indian Aide” a teacher approached me and asked if I ever considered becoming a teacher. She explained that I had the respect of students and they responded to me in a respectful way. This was the first time anyone had asked me this question. I was surprised by it. That fall, an opportunity came about that would get me into college on a scholarship to become a teacher!
Here is graduation day on the McKale Lawn after the commencement ceremony with my mom and dad and my oldest daughter.
I am the first in my family to graduate from a major university! I earned my BA in Education.
Dean’s List Candidate Nominated for outstanding Student – College of Education
I thank my parents for my success and for encouraging me to pursue higher education at the University of Arizona. GPA 3.8
Northern Arizona University M.Ed, Educational Leadership
My parents were with me in spirit.
Nominated by NAU graduate professors as the “Most Outstanding Student” in the Educational Leadership Program, Tucson Campus.
Master’s Degree Program GPA 3.75
Leadership Roles:
Executive Director
Department Chair Math & Science Teacher
Teacher of 18 years!
Numerous professional development sessions across the United States
VITA Volunteer
Farm Worker
High School Dropout
BA University of Arizona, Master’s in Education Leadership, M.Ed., Northern Arizona University
First Generation Graduate – Impact on My Family in Pursuing Education
University of Arizona
Anselmo Ramon, BA, Education
Nephew, James G. BA, Education
College
Nephew, Bruce G., 1.5 years
Niece, Lisa A., AA, Accounting
University
Anselmo Ramon, Master’s Degree
University of Phoenix
Bernadette Sixkiller, BA, Health Care & Human Resources
Encouragement
Everything that I have been able to accomplish has been through a lot of hard work. I want to encourage everyone to start their educational journey while they’re young. It is possible at any age, however, because I started when I was fairly young in my 20s, it really added to the experience I currently have as an educator. So, I encourage everyone to consider to start their education journey very early. Make it a part of your family’s mission and goal to be a person who pursues education, who preserves your own culture and language, who helps others, and who carries the message that education is a way to be successful, not only in the world outside of your Native culture, but also within your own Native culture.
Please consider these words as I share my message with you that it is possible. It is very rewarding, but it is demanding, and I am grateful for the work ethic my parents instilled in me and the encouragement they gave me at a young age in my education. Please consider your educational journey and start that process today.
Dedication
I owe my success to my mom and my dad. They instilled in our family to have good work ethic, to never give up, and to always help others
My parents instilled in us that education was a primary focus for all of us. Growing up and getting a job to help support our family and ourselves was always something that we each understood and did without question.
I thank those professionals, teachers, teacher aides, counselors, principals, and superintendents along the way that encouraged me to pursue my Teacher Education when I didn’t realize I had the ability to do so.
This story is also for all of my brothers and sisters who encouraged me as I began to make strides in my Education Journey.
I certainly thank Jiosh Ho'ige'idadag “Our Maker” or “God’s grace” and impact upon me and my journey in life.
New York Daily News Article, October 10, 2004
Dedication
To my two beautiful daughters who I will always love and cherish, and always wanted the best for them, to be able to take them on vacations and cultural fairs and to show them that work, education, and cultural identify are important to who we are as Tohono O’odham.
NAU Commencement 2001