Research Interests: Youth of Color, families and community well-being, culturally relevant and culturally sustaining healing practices and spaces, mental health intervention development and implementation in and out of educational settings, anti-racist social work education, abolitionist practices in social work
Award: CSWE Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) (2020-2023)
Jessica I. Ramirez is a mother and first-generation Chicana college student from Oxnard, California, and is currently a doctoral candidate in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. She completed her undergraduate studies in public health at California State University, Northridge and received a dual Master’s Degree in public health and social work from the University of Michigan. Growing up in Oxnard, a predominantly Latinx city, she personally experienced and witnessed her family, friends, and community being marginalized by a myriad of social injustices including hyper-policing, under-resourced schools, and underfunded—or nonexistent—mental health support services. Because of these experiences, Jessica became interested in how Communities of Color heal from trauma inflicted by systems of oppression like racism and white supremacy that directly and indirectly impact their overall well-being. Jessica has many years of experience working with and alongside Children, Youth, and Families of Color in various settings—including community centers, public housing communities, and schools. Her lived experiences greatly inform her scholarship, pedagogy, and mentorship. Jessica is committed to mentoring, supporting, and more importantly, adequately preparing aspiring social workers from all backgrounds to give back to and work alongside historically underrepresented communities.
Email: jr72@uw.edu
Other materials and professional references will be provided upon request.