Ramiro Merino Diaz
California State University, Fresno
Mr. Ramiro Merino Diaz is a third-year student at Fresno State and has been active in the community. Through his service commitments, his has worked with such local community benefit organizations as Sierra Foothill Conservancy, the Ronald McDonald House, Every Neighborhood Partnership, Stone Soup, The Discovery Center, St. Paul Catholic Newman Center, and RiverTree Friends. His work has addressed such issues as access to green space for at-risk youth, preservation of local history and ecology, access to education in the STEM fields, and the importance of civic engagement and community service for college students. For the past three years, Mr. Merino Diaz has provided hundreds of hours of service through Fresno State's Alternative Spring Break program. His freshman year, he started in the program as a participant and built on that positive experience to return to the program as a Team Leader. In his leadership capacity, Mr. Merino Diaz worked facilitated collaborations between university staff, community partners, and students to provide his peers with meaningful and impactful service experiences.
Personal Statement
I first became involved in community service at Fresno State as a freshman in the Alternative Spring Break program. I partnered with sixteen other students and a local community benefit organization to host a sports camp for children living an impoverished neighborhood. The highlight of my experience was interacting with the kids and being a positive role model. This heart-warming experience drove me to become a Team Leader the following year. My goal was to work with children, again, and challenge them to think critically by hosting a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Camp with another local CBO. As a result of these positive experiences, I continued my service journey working with food insecurity at Saint Paul Catholic Newman Center. There, I work with community members to provide food at the Wednesday College Night Dinner program, where approximately 25-40 college students are fed every week. This work helps mitigate food insecurity in that college students have a place to go and eat a warm, homemade meal. From working with children to college students, my passion for helping others drives me to care for those I encounter and make a positive impact in their lives.
