Church Farm School senior Cesar Ramirez is heading to Princeton University on a full scholarship next fall — the fulfillment of a dream for a young man whose main goal since he arrived at CFS as a 10th-grader was to set his family up for success.

“I chose CFS to pursue the higher education my parents couldn’t,” he said. “My goal is to work hard here, so eventually I’ll provide them the rest they deserve.”

His hard work has paid off, and he’ll be pursuing studies in mechanical and aerospace engineering next year at the Ivy League institution. He’s one of two CFS seniors who will be attending Princeton.

Ramirez grew up in a small borough in New Jersey, Roselle Park, where his hardworking parents emigrated from Puebla, Mexico. He recalls that they would pick him up each afternoon from elementary school and bring him along with them to their respective jobs in irrigation and housekeeping.

“They are my heroes,” Ramirez said. “I see the toll their work takes on their bodies. This has been my driving motivation in school: to take care of them like they have taken care of me.”

Inquisitive as a child, Ramirez said he loved to endlessly ask his older brothers — his role models — how things worked.

“They really nurtured my curiosity,” he said.

This early inclination toward hands-on learning left many of his teachers ill-equipped to instruct him, and he struggled in school. He saw the pandemic in 2020 as an opportunity for a fresh start academically.

Ramirez applied to SEEDS, an organization that helps bright, underserved students in New Jersey, including his brothers, find success in private school. His brother Israel enrolled at CFS through SEEDS, graduated in 2017, and attended Boston University. Ramirez wasn’t accepted to SEEDS, but he partnered with A Better Chance to eventually find his way to CFS.

He said one of the best academic decisions he made at CFS was opting out of biology — “a lot of memorization” — and taking chemistry instead. It ignited his passion for engineering and hands-on learning, as did CAD 3D Modeling and CAD Intro & Design courses. These experiences led him to found the 3D Modeling and Printing Club at Church Farm School. He also played varsity soccer and is a member of the National Honor Society and Hispanic Heritage Club.

Ramirez said what surprised him most about CFS was its vitality, since he’d assumed private school would be too serious, too boring, and too homogenous.

“The students at Church Farm are the most expressive people I’ve ever met,” he said. “Everyone here has a voice and shares each other’s cultures. This school has a heartbeat.”

About Our Partner

Church Farm School

Church Farm School exists to help boys become the men they’re meant to be. With a century of academic excellence, a tight-knit boarding community, and deep roots in Chester County, CFS is where character gets built and potential gets unleashed. This is where young men come to find out what they’re capable of.

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