5/18/2021
Education and Outreach
Jose Israel Ramirez Gamez Earns Heart of Education Award for Inspiring Efforts
When Jose Israel Ramirez Gamez received a cancer diagnosis in 2018, he knew one thing for certain: his teaching would help him get through it.
“Going to my classroom to teach my students while receiving treatment was my mental therapy,” says Ramirez Gamez, a math teacher with Spring Valley High School. “My students were and still are part of my cancer support group.”
That’s why he continued teaching through his cancer treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy.
“Teaching math to my students brings me joy and happiness,” Ramirez Gamez says. “It makes me feel healthy and alive. Hence, teaching is also part of my medicine.”
This stands as just one of Ramirez Gamez’s many inspiring achievements.
As a graduate advocate, he has helped boost Spring Valley’s graduation rate to 95 percent for the very first time. He also brought a groundbreaking international program to the school.
For these reasons and more, The Smith Center named Ramirez Gamez as one of the top 20 teachers of its sixth-annual Heart of Education Awards honoring outstanding Clark County School District (CCSD) teachers. He received a $5,000 cash award, a medallion and a $1,000 donation to his school.
“It is such a great honor to me,” he says. “It is a great accomplishment that makes me feel so happy. And happiness also can be the best medicine to cure any illness.”
No Students Unnoticed
Many people know that Ramirez Gamez will personally visit students’ homes if they have too many unexcused absences.
As a graduate advocate, he compels the students to return to school, and works constantly with them and their families in forging — and following — a plan to graduate.
“I do not want my students to become unsuccessful transfer Students. Their real job is to go to school and to get ready for the future,” he says. “I believe that education begins at home, therefore, I make home visits to talk to parents about graduation goals, to work together as a team and family.”
Ramirez Gamez also communicates with other teachers to advocate for students and confirm what they can do to pass classes. He helps students he coaches in soccer with maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher – and guides his math students in pursuing college degrees and professional careers.
“I want all of my students to be academically successful,” he says. “At Spring Valley High School, counselors, teachers, social workers and administrators — we all work together to support our senior students to reach the final academic goal.”
Overcoming the Impossible
He feels special pride about a recent student he helped.
The student came to the United States alone, leaving his family behind in his native country “to make his American dream come true,” Ramirez Gamez remembers.
With 24 classes remaining to graduate, the boy considered a high school diploma impossible.
“He reminded me of myself when I first came to the U.S.A., leaving my family behind, too,” Ramirez Gamez says. “I shared with him that academic commitment was key to reaching graduation goals. I told him that anything is possible if we believe, and we do something about it.”
With strong support from Ramirez Gamez, the boy is passing all his classes needed to graduate this May.
“He told me that he already ordered his cap ang gown to wear to his upcoming graduation ceremony,” Ramirez Gamez says.
Connecting Students Worldwide
Expanding on his own immigration experience, Ramirez Gamez also helps students bridge cultures.
Through his connection with a professor at Pepperdine University, he organized for Spring Valley High School to participate in the International Community for Collaborative Content Creation (IC4).
Through this initiative, Spring Valley students use Google Meets and Zoom each week to brainstorm and create STEM projects with students worldwide, including in Mexico, Brazil and — soon — the United Arab Emirates.
Ramirez Gamez considers no time wasted in the 11 years he and his wife have facilitated the school’s IC4 team both in Las Vegas and California.
“While participating in this great global learning environment, I have witnessed my students enhance world leadership and communication skills,” he says. “It's a priceless experience to observe my students teach and learn from one another in a global platform.”
A Difficult Chapter
Ramirez Gamez’s life changed when he felt severe back pain while watching a soccer game on TV.
After his family rushed him to the hospital, doctors identified a roughly 3.5 by 3.5 cm tumor in his adrenal gland, which eventually expanded to 15 by 15 cm.
“It was devastating to learn about my medical condition,” he says. “All my life I have been a healthy individual. It was a reality check letting me know that one can be healthy one day, and all of a sudden, health — the next day it is all gone.”
Conquering the tumor involved comprehensive treatment spanning radiation, chemotherapy and a 12-hour surgery.
Even as this sapped his strength, Ramirez Gamez never wavered in continuing to teach, bolstering his health with the good vibes of helping students learn and graduate.
“It was hard to manage teaching while receiving cancer treatments,” he concedes, adding that he lost the energy to sing his usual math songs and pace the room to monitor students’ progress. “However, teaching is a passion of mine that allows me to immerse myself in the work I love, forgetting about my struggles.”
He attributes his survival today to his committed medical team and the relentless love of his wife and three sons.
And, of course, to his students who helped him keep a positive attitude.
“Their kind words of encouragement, their letters to me letting me know that I will beat cancer, and their love and support has been the shield I need,” Ramirez Gamez says. “Thank you to my family at school for being by my side throughout this process.”