Pioneer in College Access and Success Taps New Executive Director at Founding Site in Minnesota

Dr. Joanna Ramirez will lead College Possible Minnesota as organization doubles down on efforts to support the college aspirations of Minnesota students from low-income communities

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College Possible

Oct 29, 2021, 08:00 ET

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- College Possible, a national nonprofit that has worked to improve equity and access in the college admissions process for more than 20 years, today announced the appointment of Dr. Joanna Ramirez as executive director of College Possible Minnesota.

Dr. Joanna Ramirez will lead College Possible Minnesota

"Dr. Ramirez understands the vast, but often latent potential and aspirations of learners from low-income communities in Minnesota and she also brings deep expertise and energy to bear on our vision and promise," said Julio Vargas-Essex, College Possible Minnesota board chair. "Her leadership and partnership will be essential as we work to evolve and find innovative ways to ensure every student in Minnesota can go as far as they aspire to, despite any systemic barriers that may deter them from persisting from high school to college."

Dr. Ramirez most recently served as the interim executive director of College Possible Minnesota and vice president of site leadership at College Possible's national office. In her role, she advised and coached College Possible executive directors on regional growth strategies and facilitated a community of practice for executive directors sharing cross-site learning and innovations.

"This role will enable me to turn my attention even more fully to doing the work that needs to be done to support and stimulate a community that I love,'' said Dr. Joanna Ramirez, executive director of College Possible Minnesota. "I look forward to working with the amazing staff, board members, and donors to help students across the state of Minnesota achieve their goals."

A Saint Paul resident for the past 16 years, Dr. Ramirez also serves on the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits board of directors and is active in LatinoLEAD (a local group of Latinx leaders) and part of a cohort of Adaptive Leaders for Race Equity. Prior to joining College Possible, Dr. Ramirez was selected as a Bush Leadership Fellow and served as the vice president of business solutions with the Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Dr. Ramirez earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Texas, Austin.

College Possible is one of the largest college access and success organizations in the country, providing one-on-one near-peer coaching to nearly 25,000 students from low-income backgrounds at 200 schools in eight major cities across the country. Since its founding in 2000, College Possible Minnesota has helped thousands of Minnesota students from low-income backgrounds navigate the college admissions process, through the support of near-peer coaches, enabling them to successfully gain access to a college education, along with the knowledge and skills to enter into the workforce upon graduation.

About College Possible: As one of the largest and most successful college access and success programs in the country, since 2000 College Possible has helped put more than 50,000 students from disinvested communities on the path to economic mobility via completion of a college degree. Its proven near-peer coaching model, delivered by recent college graduates serving as AmeriCorps members, provides high-touch interventions proven to help students navigate and overcome the most common barriers to college access, retention and degree completion. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds. Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates regional sites in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA; College Forward in Austin, TX; and has Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org.