(By ANGELICA RUZANOVA)
The writer’s ever-changing journey to his current position has been a path filled with restlessness and recklessness.
Growing up in the affluent town of Edinburg, Texas in the lower Rio Grande Valley, known for its multicultural populace and immigration controversies, Pedro “Pete” Ramirez’s curiosity about his community and people prospered at an early age.
From orchestrating theatrical productions on stage at Texas State University to weaving his developed interest for photojournalism and writing on his personal email newsletter, Frontera Free Press, Ramirez embarked on an intuitive path to finding his “beat.”
“I would like to develop a beat which I can really focus on and potentially turn into an expertise,” he said. “I have a lot of different interests, and that’s really what fascinated me about journalism from the start. I love learning, and journalism allows me to learn a little about all the things I want.”
The mindset of the lifelong learner cultivated after he graduated with a theater degree from Texas State University, yearning for something greater than the resemblance between what he sees of himself and what his sharpened awareness told him others judged and expected him to be. From being a brand ambassador for an energy drink beverage, to going into third-party logistics in the freight industry and later being an assistant manager at one of the properties owned by Austin’s Housing Authority, it was new and different each time.
“I didn’t know what I wanted out of life,” he said. “And especially by this time, I have come to accept it. Everybody’s path is different, and I am just going to enjoy the ride, learn as much as I can, and take care of people that are around me.”
Frontera Free Press, although overshadowed in the midst of his current positions, played a crucial role in developing his career in journalism after his involvement in the Google News Initiative, which he accidently learned about while listening to a tech podcast.
“It was geared toward community-oriented news about people, events, and different kinds of situations people went through which were diluted by these big scandals on immigration on the news in my area,” he said.
The door of the unwelcomed pandemic opened a glimpse of new turbulence. Ramirez, having redirected his course towards property tax law to pay his bills as a paralegal, found himself at a standstill. Plunging into the abyss of unemployment following an impulsive decision to quit his job at a law firm to pursue a newfound interest in culinary arts, Ramirez was distraught, with the COVID-19 pandemic embedded into daily life. “Here we are, in 2020. I was about to start a new career, and it all got wacked away,” he said.
At this point in life, Ramirez started taking journalism classes at Austin Community College, where he was referred to a student-led media outlet ACCENT. He applied as a volunteer writer – taking any assignment that was thrown his way. That following year, it seemed his superiors noticed the rushing enthusiasm to take on greater responsibilities, and he was appointed editor in chief in summer of 2021.
His colleague and his other hand in crafting the digital media platforms had a similar thing to say about his drive to do more. “Pete became ACCENT’s editor in chief at the most confusing and rough times,” said Kate Korepova, the art director of ACCENT Student Media. “He never thought of leaving the organization, but rather did everything possible to keep the staff happy and positive, only hoping for the best. He sympathizes with every member and is always willing to help.”
Ramirez’s future goals are pragmatic, as he strives to build a steady portfolio and move onto his dream job as a reporter for the Texas Tribune. “I would like to be a better journalist, applying the AP style and distinguishing between ethical and unethical scenarios as there is a lot of gray area.”
His journey, though rugged and unpredictable, echoed a hopeful road of new beginnings.
“I approach it as never being able to stop growing and developing. Really, nobody ever does,” he said. “We are always changing. That’s the only constant in life – change, everywhere and within everybody in the world around us.”
