About
CAMBIO means change. It's a six-movement framework for young Latino men and the educators and counselors who walk with them, built from my own life and from years of working with students.
NICE TO MEET YOU
I'm Dr. Alfred Ramirez
I'm the youngest son of Mexican immigrant parents, born and raised in the heart of Los Angeles. I spent over 24 years in higher education, including more than 8 years as a counselor, before retiring in 2024. I hold a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, a Bachelor's and Master's in Counseling, a Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, and a Life Coaching Certificate. Here's the part people don't expect: I earned every one of those degrees after I turned 40.
The Book.
Six movements, each built around a chapter of my story. Read it at your own pace.
The Workbook.
Six worksheets, one for each movement. Reading is understanding. Writing is owning.
Workshops.
For high schools, colleges, and community organizations. Contact me about workshops, licensing, and bulk orders.
My Story
My neighborhood was a collection of old houses struggling to stay up. One collapsed by itself one summer night. Gangs owned the streets, and we learned young to watch our surroundings. My father worked thirty years for the Southern Pacific Railroad, con pico y pala, with a pick and shovel. When I told him I wanted to be just like him, he shook his head and said, "Trabaja con tu cabeza, no tus manos." Work with your head, not your hands.
It took me a long time to hear him. I was a wannabe gangster, too smart or too scared to go all the way in. I dropped out of college twice. I filed for bankruptcy. I slept in my car for a week. I share that because the young man reading this needs to know the road doesn't have to be straight to lead somewhere.
What changed wasn't luck. It was family and mentors who didn't give up on me, some self-discipline, and a few right decisions at the right moments. Piece by piece, I built the framework that became CAMBIO.
Why I Do It
My doctoral research focused on Latino male student engagement at community colleges, and I spent my career watching talented young men walk away from school, and sometimes from themselves. I know the numbers. So do they. They don't need another lecture about statistics. They need a way through the tunnel.
CAMBIO is that way through: six movements, from knowing your story to choosing who you walk with. I wrote it for the kid I used to be, and for every young man who was told, in some way, that he wasn't enough. He was. He is.
Retirement didn't end this work. Change is critical. CAMBIO is the tool.
FREE GIFT
Start With Your Story
Download Worksheet 1 free. Nine questions, no grades, no audience but you.
You're safe with me. I'll never spam you or sell your contact info.