Carolina Ramirez
Students and Families: CLICK HERE to connect with Ms. Ramirez!
Carolina Ramirez is delighted to serve as the Lead College Advisor for Bryan Adams High School. Born and raised in East Dallas, Carolina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Education in Student Affairs – Higher Education from Iowa State University.
Witnessing the benefits of the investment educators made in her jump-started her passion for standing alongside students in their growth. In 2020, Carolina moved back to Dallas to serve students with equity and access at the forefront and understands how the complex relationships between P-20 education and broader structures impact underrepresented students and their communities. As a first-generation college student with experience in admissions and first-year student success, Carolina believes higher education is a transformative space and is passionate about helping students navigate the process to find the place for them.
Some of her interests beyond college access include scoping out local coffee shops, traveling, seeing her favorite artists in concert, and spending time with friends and family.
Destiny Okwubodu
Students and Families: CLICK HERE to connect with Ms. Okwu!
My name is Ms. Okwu. I was born in Nigeria and moved to Dallas when I was 6 years old. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a bachelor’s in Neuroscience and a minor in African and African diaspora studies. Throughout my studies at UT, I participated in many mentorship roles to help students on campus navigate the college environment. I am very passionate about increasing representation in all academic fields and enthusiastic to share my passion and skills at Bryan Adams High school. I wish I had the advisors at ASP to help navigate my college application process. I understand how important ASPs commitment to our students is and strive to replicate the mission on campus.
In addition to being a college advisor, I enjoy playing tennis, reading books, and trying new foods all over Dallas. Depending on what you’re feeling, I can recommend different food spots around Dallas to try! I also love listening to music and pride myself on creating personality playlists for people to enjoy and share in my love for music.
Oneida Ramirez
Ms. Oneida Ramirez is ecstatic to serve as a college advisor for the students of Dallas ISD. As a Dallas ISD and ASP alumni, she earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from The University of North Texas.
Previously, Ms. Ramirez worked hard on educating families on what resources were available at their disposal. She programmed monthly family workshops focused on financial literacy, mental health awareness, and college readiness. These workshops also provided hard-working families with the opportunities to involve themselves in their students’ educational environment during after-school hours.
As a first-generation graduate, she has made it a mission to help students in her community achieve a successful college exploration experience to put them in the best possible position to obtain a higher education. She is overjoyed to be able to provide the necessary support to students to achieve their educational dreams.
In her free time, Ms. Ramirez enjoys outdoor runs, Outdoor/farmers markets, spending quality time with her loved ones, and baking!
Samantha Padron
Sam is very excited to serve as the College Advisor at (Pending) High School. She was born and raised in the DFW Metroplex and is a graduate of the University of North Texas, where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Hospitality Management, and Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies with specialty in Curriculum Development, and ESL Education.
As a first generation college student, Sam’s aspiration as a College Advisor is to advocate for students’ academic opportunities by creating relationships with a foundation of cultural awareness, family, and community. She is dedicated to providing tools to combat unequitable systems that harbor power and privilege that contribute to the academic achievement gap. Most importantly to help create a sustainable future for all learners.
Before joining ASP Sam previously worked at nonprofit organizations such as the Perot Museum and Communities Foundation of Texas, which helped cultivate her aspiration to being a continuous agent of change. She is a hard worker who values community, advocacy, and relationships. In her free time her interests involve spending quality time with family, enjoying White Rock lake with her soon to be husband, and trying to improve her chess strategies by losing many games.