When Alan Ramirez thinks about the life he’s built — business owner, mentor, employer — he doesn’t hesitate.
“I give all the praise to Avenue Scholars,” he said.
Ramirez graduated from Benson High School in 2016 and Metropolitan Community College in 2018. Today, he runs All-Star Exteriors, a successful home exterior business, which he started seven years ago.
Long before the crews, the contracts, and the daily demands of leadership, there was a moment in class with Avenue Scholars that changed everything.
He recalls the day his High School Career Coach brought in an Avenue Scholars alum to speak as “a game changer.” The guest was just a few years older than Ramirez, close enough in age that his success felt more relatable and attainable.
“It made me realize more was possible for myself,” said Ramirez.
At that moment, the future stopped feeling abstract. It became a path he could actually walk.
Ramirez loved his Avenue Scholars class, calling it a positive and supportive environment.
Back then, he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to study. In high school, he’d helped his dad, who worked on construction crews that built houses. He learned the rhythm of construction projects from the ground up and taught valuable skills about working on a team.
That experience nudged him toward a construction management major at Metropolitan Community College — and he hasn’t looked back.
Seven Years in — and Just Getting Started
Ramirez has now been in business for seven years. But it’s only in the last three or four, he said, that everything’s clicked.
His advice for young people is direct and practical: “If you want to be a mechanic, don’t waste time working at Walmart if Jiffy Lube is hiring. Whatever your goal is, find a way to get experience in that to benefit your future self.”
For students interested in construction management, he has more advice: Social skills matter. Focus on your ability to communicate with others.
“Develop those relational skills,” he said. “They’ll help you build connections in the field.”
A Scholar for Life
Ramirez said Avenue Scholars is more than a program he completed. It’s a community he still belongs to. He stays in touch, shares his journey, and shows current Scholars what’s possible — just like that alum did for him years ago.
His story is proof of what happens when talent meets opportunity, when a young person sees someone just a few steps ahead and thinks, “If they can do it, maybe I can too.”
