(Esta historia también está disponible en español, aquí.)
Roy Ramos, longtime basketball coach and former deans’ assistant, took over as Communications and Community Relations Coordinator at West Chicago Community High School on Aug. 19, following Brittney Walker’s departure to East Aurora.
Ramos will be responsible for writing press releases on topics such as budgets, program updates, and various curricular initiatives. Ramos said he is still learning the ins and outs of the position, but his main priority right now is building relationships with students, staff, and the larger community.
“I’m really trying to get out and meet with people outside of the school to learn what’s going on and see how we, as a district, can make an impact in the community beyond our walls,” Ramos said.
Ramos also spoke about improving communication with Spanish speakers in the district. He praised the district for translating emails and flyers but suggested more could be done during live events.
“The students are a huge help with that. All the Student Ambassadors were a great help [during open house]. But I think we could come up with creative ideas to implement, like during live activities, not just through email and flyers,” Ramos said.
One way Ramos hopes to do that is by expanding opportunities for student involvement. He mentioned community partnerships, like food drives, and said he wants those opportunities to be better advertised to students.
Ramos believes his work as a basketball coach will be useful as he navigates the new position.
“I think [communication and coaching] skill[s will] carry over into this position as a coordinator: just connecting with students, staff and people in the community,” Ramos said.
