Distance runner Luke Ramirez is an American success story.
 
His paternal grandfather Refugio Ramirez came to the U.S. in 1948 from La Piedad, Michoacán, about two hours north of Guadalajara in Mexico. At the age of 14, he came to pick olives in Quincy, Calif., a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Sacramento.
 
Just two generations later, his grandson Luke is finishing up his master's degree in elementary education at Portland State University, following a bachelor's degree in Arts and Letters with a minor in English. Luke finished with a 3.4 cumulative GPA as an undergraduate and was carrying a 4.0 in his graduate work. Luke's two older sisters, Roxanne and Angelica, also are college graduates.
 
And, Luke used his distance running skills to put him on the cusp of a career teaching English Language Development at Ron Russell Middle School in east Portland's David Douglas school district. There, he'll be working with immigrant students from all over the world.  
 
"I know that coming to the U.S. from another country can be extremely difficult, but factor in some of the things that some of these students are experiencing…such as escaping war in their home country…and these students need consistency and patience. I felt that was something I could help bring to the classroom."
 
But it's also been a road with some curves in getting to that classroom following high school.
 
It began when the PSU coaches saw Ramirez perform at the Oregon state high school meet. "We thought he could be a contributor right away for us. As it turned out, he was a strong student, so he was also a Four Years Free qualifier (a PSU program for eligible in-state students) and that helped us attract him to Portland State," said Viking Head Coach David Hepburn.
 
For Ramirez, athletics was integral in helping him accomplish his academic goals.
 
"Athletics played a huge part in my ability to get my degrees and obtain my teaching credentials. It has been huge in terms of the financial side of things and in terms of pairing with so many great people who were always encouraging me to pursue my goals and keeping me on the right track," Ramirez said.
 
His high school distance performances had drawn interest from a number of schools. But, he liked the idea of exploring a larger community and felt he got the most interest from Hepburn and his staff.
 
"I chose Portland State because I always loved visiting the city when I was growing up. Coming to the city felt like the perfect opportunity to experience something completely different from my hometown in Southern Oregon without being too far away. The coaching staff made me feel important and like I could be part of a program that was rebuilding (and changing focus to concentrate on distances)," said the South Medford High School graduate.
 
Academics was always a strength for him. His high school performance helped earn his Four Years Free scholarship and, during his time here, he has been a 12-time Academic All-Big Sky selection while at Portland State. As a Viking, he's run both track and cross country where his performances rank him 10th all time at PSU in the cross country 10k, ninth in the indoor mile and fifth in the outdoor 1,500 meters.
 
His path to a running career began early.
 
In grade school, Ramirez played football and basketball. He started running track in middle school, but had run casually in fun runs with his dad Raul since grade school. 
 
An early experience in high school was disappointing, he said. "I finished in the back half of a race and was even lapped by the eventual winner in the 3k. I was embarrassed and frustrated and decided I'd never let something like that happen again." He persevered and eventually began to catch the eyes of college coaches.
 
Academically, it wasn't until the end of his sophomore year at Portland State that he began to think he might make teaching his career. A business major initially, Ramirez wasn't enjoying his classes. He was studying business mainly because it would lead to a good paying job, not because he was genuinely interested.
 
"I started considering what actually was important to me and what I wanted to accomplish. I decided that I wanted to help others and leave a lasting impact," he said. He realized that the people with the most impact on his life outside his own family had been teachers.
 
His mother Jody was working for the local school district and told him she thought he should study English and that he'd be a good teacher because he was a strong writer and enjoyed writing. Besides, he said, she worked around teachers and was familiar with the types of people who make good teachers.
 
"I'd tell her there was no way I was going to be a teacher. It just wasn't on my radar as an 18- to 20-year-old. Crazy how moms actually know what they're talking about," said Ramirez.
 
Hepburn said that Ramirez has had large impact on his program. "Luke has been a great leader for our program. He's a versatile athlete, having come to PSU as a middle-distance runner but also really proving himself to be a resilient and competent cross-country runner. It's been great having Luke as a team leader and captain for our distance program. His calm demeanor and mature attitude have served himself and his team very well."
 
And, Ramirez is conscious that he's come a great distance from his grandfather's days in Quincy.
 
"All my family is very excited and supportive of me getting my master's degree and that I'm going into education. My grandfather coming to his country and thinking about all the struggle that he had to endure and the privileges he afforded my family has certainly motivated me," he said.
 
Hepburn is quite satisfied with his decision to bring Ramirez aboard.
 
"Luke has exceeded my expectations here at PSU. He has grown into a fine young man with a big heart. I would take a dozen Lukes on my team," he said.