From running with bad crowds and dropping out of High School to eventually becoming a high school teacher, Colton High English teacher Ricardo Ruiz’s story provides an inspiring perspective on the importance of education and on-the-job training.
The journey Ruiz took to overcome obstacles in order to achieve his educational and professional goals highlights the importance of honesty, perseverance, and personal initiative.
But before becoming the teacher he is today, he was a kid running the streets of L.A. thinking he had all the answers.
Growing up on the South Side of L.A., known for its heavy gang activity, dropping out of school during senior year felt like Ruiz’s only option. Most of the guys he knew were in-and-out of prison, or getting shot. Ruiz was brought up in a place where oftentimes you don’t live past 25, and if you do make it that long, a life in jail was waiting for you. On the South Side there were few dreams to look forward to and little to get out of life.
By the time Ruiz had to search for a job, he quickly discovered most required a high school diploma. After having a baby boy, scouting for jobs was a top priority.
The only available jobs were those as unskilled labor, which also required a diploma. “I could just end up with jobs that didn’t pay well and couldn’t provide well for my family,” Ruiz said. “That was a huge regret. The financial instability and the lack of opportunities that not having an education gives you. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way.”
Ruiz grew tired of not being able to support his family, so he lied on an application for a human resources job, and after getting through the screening process, his future boss required him to present a copy of his diploma.
“I was like, ‘Oh shoot, man.’ And so we stepped out, went to her office, and I confessed.”
Luckily, integrity worked in Ruiz’s favor. He was told he could have the job if he enrolled in school within two weeks. And with that, the motivation to sign up and get back to school was in motion.
Ruiz contacted Colton Joint Unified School District and learned there was an adult education program at Washington Independent Study. He signed up, then went to school every Monday night for the next two years.
Ruiz found one of his biggest challenges was developing writing skills. “I remember once I had to write a report, a safety report at the warehouse, and I couldn’t write a paragraph,” he said. “I mean, I could write basic sentences and stuff, but you tell me to write a paragraph, I couldn’t do it. I remember I would walk around with this little pocket manual for writing. And every time I’d get a chance, I’d look over it to learn what to do.”
After graduating from Washington, he improved the quality of life for himself and his family. Ruiz qualified for welfare, food stamps, unemployment and financial aid. After securing a better job, Ruiz took a leap of faith by leaving his job of eight years to pursue his education at Valley College.
Finding a major was the next challenge. Ruiz had to find something that could fit in his schedule, which was when his caseworker suggested he might want to consider teaching.
Ruiz took a pragmatic approach to the idea. “You know, I could get out on time to pick up my kids. And you know, I’m not going to make as much money as a nurse, but at least I’ll be there for my children, which, at the end of the day, my kids needed me more than a brand new Xbox.”
Teaching seemed to be the best option since his county would either pay for a teaching or nursing program, but because teaching was better fit for his schedule, Ruiz went into that program.
Then began his first teaching job at Slover Mountain High School. Ruiz enjoyed working there because he got to relate with his students, whom he inspired with his story. “Because of what I went through and how, how hard I had to work, I know that any student that walks through these doors, regardless of what they look like, regardless of where they’re from, regardless of their background, regardless of what they’ve done in the past can change and can be successful.”
Since coming to Colton High a couple years ago, Mr. Ruiz has taught English II, III and IV. Currently he is teaching English Language Development Teacher (ELD) and is giving back to the adult community as an adult education teacher for English as a Second Language (ESL).
Through Ruiz’s journey from being a high school dropout with seemingly no future to a high school teacher who inspires and supports teens, I finally asked him, “What’s the best part of being a teacher?”
“Honestly,” he said with a big smile. “Meeting people like you, like Alexis, Eddie, Jimmy, Ryan . . . you know, I just met you guys. It’s so rewarding. I mean, just there’s a lot of joy, there’s heartache, sometimes frustration, but there’s so much joy.”
