By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
The president of NTCC’s award-winning chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Mu Chi, and the director of two Honors Northeast films, on Bo Pilgrim, and Carroll Shelby, has won the 2021 Dr. Charles B. Florio Award for distinguished leadership. Sophomore Brian Ramirez received $200, given by an anonymous donor, in memory, of Northeast Texas Community College’s longest-term president.
Ramirez guided filming efforts with Alpha Mu Chi to win a Texas Heritage award, while the Bo Pilgrim film won a Walter Prescott Webb Chapter Award. He is the first person in the history of Honors Northeast to win back-to-back first-place awards for both the spring poster contest, and the fall poetry contest.
Dr. Charles Florio served as President of NTCC for thirteen years, from 1995 to 2008. During his tenure, enrollments, building, credentials of the faculty, and the stature of the college showed a steady increase.
Honors Director, Dr. Andrew Yox notes: “Ramirez is a remarkable organizer. He sees the goal, he sees talents, he makes the effort to connect, and suddenly a big student production is moving forward. There is very little drag, and a great deal of positivity. We are thankful to have him here.”
As president of the Alpha Mu Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, Brian Ramirez leads a strong group of officers and members seeking to make a positive difference on campus and in the community. Last year, Brian helped the chapter create a documentary on accessibility issues as the world relied more heavily than ever on the internet. The resultant film project “To Turn a Blind Eye: Inaccessibility Awareness” won awards at the regional and international level, and involved interviews as far-reaching as Australia (via Zoom), Maryland, and Dallas. The film can be seen here.
This year, Brian is overseeing chapter projects that involve oral history and a more local focus. A recent trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma involved research for the project in progress. Dr. Melissa Fulgham, one of the PTK advisors, noted: “Brian is a rare individual with natural leadership skills. For two years, he’s been able to get a large group of people involved in meaningful activities. I’ve noticed that he makes others, regardless of background, feel comfortable and welcome, resulting in an effective team dynamic. His easy demeanor and humble approach leads to effective results, whether that be leading a group in a walk across town or helping a team produce an award winning project. He sees things through to completion, encourages others to aim high and gets buy-in from individuals along the way. The chapter is fortunate to have him as Chapter President.”
Brian is the son of Carlos and Eunice Ramirez of Mount Pleasant. Previous winners of the Florio leadership award include: Carolina-Alcocer Salas (2020), Jacob Lambie (2019), and Rhylie Anderson (2018).
