MAS Class of 2026 Senior Spotlight: Joel Gonzales Ramos

For Joel Gonzales Ramos, high school became a lesson in patience and knowing when to step forward. Some opportunities arrive quietly. Others are easy to overlook until they are gone. By the time he reached his senior year at Mission Achievement and Success Charter School, Joel had come to see that growth often begins with paying attention to what is right in front of him.

Joel enrolled at MAS in the fall of 2022 as a 9th grader, and what stayed with him most was the feeling of being part of a place where people made room for one another. 

“What I liked best about attending MAS was the opportunity to take college classes and participate in Physical Education, along with the warm and welcoming environment that truly made the school feel like a supportive family.” 

For Joel, the chance to take dual college credit courses through Central New Mexico Community College offered a practical advantage. It allowed him to begin earning college credits while still in high school. Just as important was the atmosphere around him, which he describes less as institutional than personal.

That sense of perspective appears again in the advice he offers to students coming behind him:

“I would advise incoming freshmen to stay focused and pay attention in class, because building good habits early will help them succeed and avoid regrets later on.” 

It is the kind of advice that sounds simple until you realize how much experience sits behind it. The habits formed early, he suggests, have a way of following you.

Joel’s life outside the classroom reflects another side of who he is. He did not participate in school clubs, but he found his interests elsewhere. He reads comic books, builds with LEGO sets, plays video games, and watches movies. Those experiences offered lessons in imagination and critical thinking for him. He says those interests also help him relax, and they have also deepened his appreciation for storytelling and problem-solving.

When asked, he speaks about high school with the clarity of someone who has been paying attention to both what happened and what it meant. 

“One of the most important life lessons I learned in high school is to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, so I can grow and avoid future regrets.” 

That idea seems to sit at the center of his story. It explains the way he approached school, the value he placed on the opportunities MAS provided, and the steady direction of the plans he now carries into the future.

After graduation, Joel plans to attend The University of New Mexico, where he will study criminology. He says the field aligns with his interests and long-term goals. In 10 years, he plans to be working in his dream career in law enforcement as a detective. He also plans to keep making room for the interests that helped shape him, while continuing to explore new ones, including sports.

The person he most admires is his mother. Joel says he admires what she does and who she chooses to be. He describes her as selfless and says she has shown him what it means to care for others without expecting anything in return. The way she provides for her family, and the example she sets in doing so, has stayed with him.

Even his favorite meal has a certain straightforwardness to it. At Taco Bell, he orders chalupas with a Baja Blast, a combination he says is especially delicious.

“I have really enjoyed my high school journey, says Joe. I’ve learned a lot and am grateful for all the experiences that have helped me grow and prepare for the future.” 

Joel leaves MAS with an outlook that feels steady and earned. He learned to notice opportunities, trust his own pace, and imagine and move toward the future he wants. That way of thinking should serve him well in college and beyond, and everyone at MAS will be watching with real excitement as he takes the next step toward a career in criminology and the life he plans to build.