Alicia Walters-Ramos | St. Croix District Teacher of the Year Candidate
12th Grade
St. Croix Educational Complex High School
Alicia Ramos was born on St. Thomas, USVI. She is the proud product of the Virgin Islands public school system where she graduated from Dober Elementary School, Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School, and Ivanna Eudora Kean High School. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., where she majored in Journalism and Communications. Her career as a teacher started at the opening of the St. Croix Educational Complex High School (SCECHS) in 1995. Mrs. Ramos considers her wonderful family to be her greatest pride. Her husband of 28 years, Roberto Ramos, and teenage daughter, Maykayla Ramos, keeps her grounded.
Throughout her career as an English educator, Mrs. Ramos takes pride in nurturing some of the brightest Virgin Islands minds. Mrs. Ramos has taught English 9th-12th, AP Language and Composition, and journalism. Presently, she teaches Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, and English 12 Honors.
Mrs. Ramos also served as a former English Department chairperson for six years. During that time, she championed a number of initiatives that affected all departments throughout SCECHS. She copyrighted her writing rubric and shared it with every department. The essay format for exams was also perfected by Mrs. Ramos and has been used by all SCECHS teachers. She enjoyed coordinating activities such as the Language Arts Showcase Production, Poetry Out Loud Competition, and the Laws of Life Essay Competition. Additionally, she has worked with the Language Arts Coordinator and teachers in the district to develop a Rigorous Curriculum Design that focused on prioritizing Common Core Standards.
Moreover, within the classroom environment, Mrs. Ramos works directly with her students, developing their close-reading strategies through annotating and analyzing numerous forms of genre for their literary and rhetorical devices, arming students with the ability to develop a deeper understanding of the English language. Ultimately, Mrs. Ramos prepares her students to take the College Board exam and build confidence that presents itself in future college-level English courses.
Beyond imparting knowledge to her students, Mrs. Ramos is known for mentoring new teachers. She often shares strategies and her many years of experience with them.
Since 2015, Mrs. Ramos has entered her students into the Vento Shakespearean Festival held on St. Thomas and has returned home to St. Croix with the title four out of five years they have entered the competition. Mrs. Ramos not only brings Shakespeare’s words to life for the students, but she instills in them the life lessons of working hard and supporting each other to achieve a common goal. Not only does her students learn the words of the play, but they assist in designing and creating their own costumes and props. Mrs. Ramos utilizes her childhood skills of sewing to handcraft many of the costumes and props. She is affectionately known to many on campus as “Mrs. McGuyver.”
Behind the scenes at SCECHS, Mrs. Ramos embodies the Barracuda spirit in the classroom and on campus. Throughout the year, she works with seniors on set designs for all of their senior activities, from Introductory Night, to Class Night, to Prom, and to Graduation, setting each activity aglow. One of her biggest feats to date was sketching and creating, with the assistance of her husband, a life-size replica of the Transatlantic Monument that stands in front of SCECHS. This monument enhanced the stage during the graduation ceremonies.
Mrs. Ramos is also a tennis enthusiast. She travels extensively throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and the United States to give her dynamic daughter, Maykayla, the opportunity to peruse her dream of becoming a tennis star.
“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning,”
- Brad Henry
