About Christian

Christian Ramirez Rivera identifies as a first-generation college graduate, transfer student, and proud son of immigrant parents from Mexico and Guatemala. Raised in Barrio Logan, located in South East San Diego, Christian’s path through higher education was fueled by grit, and grounded by community, ganas and a deep commitment to expand access for students from low-income, first-generation, and historically underserved backgrounds.

As a graduate student in the Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs program at San Diego State University, Christian navigates his work with a practitioner-scholar lens when serving students from all paths of life. His work is rooted in his lived experience navigating educational barriers, professional experience supporting students across college access, and his long-term goal of serving as a higher education leader within San Diego County.

Outside of school and work, Christian enjoys music, concerts, reading, exploring new places, fitness, spending time with loved ones, and a good cup of iced coffee. 

Higher Education Journey

Christian is a former high school dropout who later graduated from San Diego City College with two associate degrees in psychology and business administration. He transferred to the University of California, San Diego, where he earned his bachelor’s degrees in communication and international business. As a first-generation transfer student, he developed a deeper understanding of how community colleges, transfer pipelines, fem/mentorship, and culturally responsive practices can shift the trajectory of a student's life. 

He has served students at Reality Changers, San Diego City College, UCSD, and now San Diego State University where he was the recipient of the CSU Trustee Award for Outstanding Achievement. Christian supports students through an inclusive equity minded approach. Currently he is serving as a graduate research associate for the SEMILLAS Research Team while also supporting SDSU HSI initiatives and the AAHHE (American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education) national organization.

Guided by mentors, such as Dra. Marissa C. Vasquez, Christian is continuing to develop his research identity around community college pathways, transfer student experiences, and college access barriers that shape students identities.

Research Interests

Christian’s research interests focus on higher education access, community college transfer pathways, Latiné students, first-generation, and nontraditional student pipelines. He is interested in how policies, financial barriers, and culturally responsive practices shape the experiences of students who stem from marginalized communities in higher education.

His research agenda is grounded in how universities can build systems and practices which validate, fund, retain, and support students through their college experience. He hopes to work on scholarship that further expands racial equity and inclusion. Christian aspires to become both a future faculty and eventually a community college president. One that serves people from communities like his own.