Senior Profile: Cesar Ramirez '26

Cesar Ramirez '26 is heading to Princeton University on a full scholarship next fall, a big dream fulfilled for a young man whose main goal since he matriculated to Church Farm School as a 10th grader was to set his family up for success. “I chose CFS to pursue the higher education my parents couldn't; my goal is to work hard here, so eventually I'll provide them the rest they deserve." His hard work has paid off, and he'll be pursuing studies in mechanical and aerospace engineering next year at the Ivy League university, one of two seniors who will be attending. 

Cesar grew up in a small borough in New Jersey - Roselle Park - where his hardworking parents immigrated from Puebla, Mexico. Cesar recalls each afternoon, they would pick him up from elementary school and bring him along with them to their respective jobs in irrigation and housekeeping. "They are my heroes. I see the toll their work takes on their bodies. This has been my driving motivation in school: to take care of them like they have taken care of me." 

Always an inquisitive child, Cesar says he loved to endlessly ask his older brothers - his role models - how things worked. "They really nurtured my curiosity." This early inclination toward hands-on learning left many of his teachers ill-equipped to instruct him, and he struggled in school. Cesar saw the pandemic in 2020 as a an opportunity for a fresh start academically. He applied to SEEDS, an organization that helps bright, underserved students in New Jersey - including Cesar's brothers - find success in private school. His brother Israel came to Church Farm School through SEEDS, graduated in 2017 and attended Boston University. Cesar wasn't accepted to SEEDS; he partnered with A Better Chance to find his way to Church Farm School as a 10th grader. 

Cesar says one of the best academic decisions he made at Church Farm was opting out of biology - "a lot of memorization" - and taking chemistry, instead. It ignited his passion for engineering and hands-on learning, as did CAD 3D Modeling and CAD Intro & Design courses. These experiences led him to found the 3D Modeling and Printing Club at Church Farm. Cesar is also a varsity soccer player and a member of the National Honor Society and Hispanic Heritage Club. 

Now getting ready to depart the school for his next phase, Cesar says what surprised him the most about Church Farm was it's vitality; he had assumed private school would be too serious, too boring and too homogenous. "The students at Church Farm are the most expressive people I've ever met. Everyone here has a voice and shares each other's cultures. This school has a heartbeat."