Ray Jaramillo: Candidate Bio and Personal Statement
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Biography
Ray Jaramillo has been a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for more than twenty-five years. He and his wife Mackenzie have two children, both educated in Las Cruces Public Schools. Ray is a graduate of New Mexico State University, earning his bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a minor in child advocacy studies. In May of 2020, Ray earned a master’s degree in early childhood education and was part of the first leadership and advocacy cohort to graduate from Erikson Institute. This Fall, he began his doctoral journey at Northcentral University.
Ray is currently the Director of Alpha School for Young Children, a five star nationally accredited preschool. He has been working with young children and has been employed with Alpha School since December of 1995. In 2012, Ray was appointed by Governor Susanna Martinez to the New Mexico Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC). In July of 2018, he was reappointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to another four-year term with ELAC, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair.
In February 2017, Ray was elected to Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education, representing the children and families of District 1. He believes that education should be built on positive relationships. He feels that it is through relationships we provide children with the essential support for learning. Education built on relationships will have positive life-long implications for both students’ academic and social development. One of Ray’s favorite quotes comes from Anne Fadiman. She said, “I have always felt that the action most worth watching is not at the center of things but where edges meet. I like shorelines, weather fronts, international borders. There are interesting frictions and incongruities in these places, and often, if you stand at the point of tangency, you can see both sides better than if you were in the middle of either one.”
Personal Statement
As far back as I can remember, I showed an interest in working with young children. As a high school senior, I was voted most likely to become a teacher by my peers. In the Fall of 1993, I enrolled and started classes at New Mexico State University (NMSU), majoring in Elementary Education. Initially, I successfully managed school, work, and sports, but after a few years, my grades suffered. I was also reluctant to teach in public schools and thus ended up dropping out of school.
In 1995, I began working with young children at Alpha School. Alpha School is a five-star nationally accredited childcare center in Las Cruces with infant, toddler, and state-funded PreK programs. Over the past twenty-five years working at Alpha School, I have worked as an assistant teacher, lead teacher, assistant director, and currently serve as the program director.
It wasn’t long after I began working as an educator that I realized the importance of early childhood advocates and the vital role in improving the overall well-being of children and families across communities. I soon found myself learning how to be a voice for the children and families in my community and across the state. This led to serving in several positions within the New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children that included the president of the Southern Chapter. I also represented New Mexico as a member of the Affiliate Council for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). I was recently re-appointed by Governor Susanna Martinez to the Early Learning Advisory Council (ELAC), where I currently hold the position of Vice-Chair. In March of 2017, I was elected to serve a four-year term on the Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education.
In the spring of 2013, I returned to NMSU to pursue my early childhood degree. I worked with the university leadership to develop an early childhood non-licensure degree program from the College of Education. I am excited to say that I was the first to graduate with this degree, and this program is now one of the most popular degree programs within the college of education at NMSU. In May of 2020, I earned my Master of Science in Early Childhood Education from Erikson Institute and was part of the first leadership and advocacy cohort to graduate. This Fall, I began the doctoral education program at Northcentral University.
My goal is to one day own the center that I have worked at for the past twenty-five years. I plan to continue writing children’s books and advocating on behalf of children and families. I believe that my hands-on experience and advocacy at multiple levels, along with my education, make me a great candidate to serve on a national level as a member of the NAEYC Governing Board.
Thank you for your consideration.