Nona Your Neighbor: Ingrid Ramos

Ingrid Ramos is a testing clerk at Lake Nona High School, known for her kind heart and compassion toward all students. Check out our conversation with her below!

NHN: When did you come to Lake Nona and what brought you here?
IR: Seven years ago, I applied to a job vacancy at Lake Nona High School, and I was selected for the position, and since then I’ve been working in the school system. One of the reasons I applied to a job in the area was because I knew Lake Nona would turn into something big, and, as a parent, I was looking for good educational opportunities for my kids and a better place to raise my kids.

NHN: What does your daily life look like?
IR: I wake up very early in the morning, have breakfast, pray or meditate and read. I feel incomplete if I don’t start my day by giving thanks for the privilege of opening my eyes to a new day and ask God for his blessing and protection for my family through the day. Then I arrive at school at 7 a.m. to start my duties. At the high school, I collaborated in various departments, such as student services, media center and now the testing department. Days in our testing department are running from one place to another, solving technical issues, preparing student lists and materials for testing, accommodations (if they are necessary), answering emails and phone calls, assisting students, parents, and teachers, plus general office work. After my work routine, I try to walk every afternoon in the neighborhood that fortunately is surrounded with beautiful nature. Walking keeps me grounded and helps clean my mind from whatever happened in my day. Then I am ready to cook for my family, do chores or personal activities until it’s time for bed, and I usually read again before I go to sleep.

NHN: What’s your favorite part about your job?

IR: The best part about my job is the students. It’s not easy being a young person these days. Kids are exposed to so much pressure in many areas, and for them to be unique and authentic is not easy. I feel useful when I can bring a little bit of light to their life. Something as simple like, “Hey, you look good today,” “How are you?”, “How is your day so far?” Just the little things!!! Or when the communication is coming from them and they ask: “Ms. Ingrid, what do you think about this?” “Ms. Ingrid, where you had been? I miss you!!” “Ms. Ingrid, I love your outfit!” They just make my day better!

NHN: What is your favorite part about Lake Nona?
IR: One of my favorite things about Lake Nona is this concept of healthy/modern living community. I love the way we promote the new gastronomy coming to the city, what restaurant is opening or what new business is coming, or what is new in the Medical City. Because we are growing so fast, everything happening is extremely interesting.

NHN: What are your hobbies?

IR: I love to spend all the time I can with my family, travel, explore new places to eat or to visit, have a coffee with a friend, read a good book, or just be in contact with someone I love.

NHN: Where has been your favorite place that you have traveled?

IR: My favorite city until this moment is Quebec, Canada. Their culture, the architecture, the romanticism, the restaurants, the little shops, everything!! And of course, Celine Dion, LOL. It’s like being in France without traveling to Europe.

NHN: What is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you? The most interesting?
IR: Ironically for me, the greatest joke in my life is work at the school system, and not only that, on top of that, a dear friend asked me also to take care of her Key Club members (over 200 students) because she can’t do it anymore for personal reasons, and of course, I was petrified. I always used to say that I will never work with kids, I don’t want to deal with these hormonal attitudes, but priority changes in life. When I finished my bachelor degree in business with a major in marketing, I always thought that it was my direction, but I had kids and I started to look for more balance and flexibility as a mother and as professional while they were little. But, you know what, I don’t regret it. High schoolers keep me young and energized. I love to hear their dramas, I love to hear the love stories, the breakups. I am proud of their achievements, and I am also there to comfort them in their frustrations and to push them to keep going. This crazy joke turned into one of my biggest blessings.

NHN: If you could tell one thing to a person or family considering moving to Lake Nona, what would that be?
IR: I can say too many things but you ask only for one. I think one thing I can tell a family or a person considering moving to Lake Nona is opportunities. The opportunities coming (in all areas, professional, academic, medical, retail, corporate) to us are too good to avoid. Lake Nona is one of the fastest-growing communities in the United States, and you need to live here to enjoy and benefit from all this transformation.