MAYS LANDING — After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Rutgers University – New Brunswick in 2024, Alexandra Ramirez found her career options severely limited and it began to leave her with a feeling of emptiness within. It was at that point in time, after several internships, that Ramirez decided to further pursue her love of art by enrolling at Atlantic Cape Community College.
Ramirez, a dual-sport athlete in cross country at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD during her freshman and sophomore years, and rowing in her junior year at Rutgers, applied to Atlantic Cape this past summer. During her orientation she learned about the College’s women’s cross-country program, which had just completed its first season in 2024. After inquiring whether she still had remaining National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) eligibility, Ramirez was pleased to learn that, thanks to a season lost due to the pandemic, she had one year left.
Attempting to earn an associate degree after having already received a bachelor’s degree is not the conventional hierarchy of higher education, but for Ramirez it became the logical choice in her search for an exciting career where she can utilize her artistic creativity and love of sports.
“When I was at Mount St. Mary’s I was a double major in Communication and Art, but none of my (Art) credits transferred. Career-wise, I realized I wanted to go in more of a creative direction and I felt like I wanted to pursue art again and create a portfolio,” said Ramirez, a 23-year-old resident of South Seaville, who graduated from Middle Township High School in Cape May County in 2020. “I know it’s working backwards, but I wasn’t getting the jobs I wanted and I needed to do something else, so I decided to go back to school. Atlantic Cape is more affordable, I can save money and it is close to home.”
With transferrable Art credits on her official college transcript, Ramirez is currently taking 12 credits worth of prerequisite classes from Art in Ancient Times/Gothic Era and Fundamental Drawing to Introduction to Computers and Art with Computers. Once she graduates, Ramirez likes the option of having two career avenues to explore from.
“I feel like both (Art and Communication) are helpful. I am a really big sports fan and I want to do something in sports marketing or graphic design in sports where I can be creative. I just love art just as much as I love running, so being able to do both right now is really cool,” said Ramirez.
As the sole runner on a second-year Buccaneers women’s cross-country squad, Ramirez entered her first competitive collegiate race since 2022 on Sunday, September 28 in the Brookdale Jersey Blues Invitational at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, N.J. Despite still recovering from a stress fracture in her left tibia suffered during last year’s Atlantic City Marathon, which she courageously completed in 3:51:13 and 13th out of 75 runners in her age 20-29 group, Ramirez placed third and earned a bronze medal with a time of 22:57.
“With this actually being my first time running in a month because of shin splints I was really surprised, pleasantly surprised really,” admitted Ramirez. “It was really fun. There were some hills that kind of threw me off at first, but it was a fast and flat course for the most part. It was a good introductory race to get back.”
Head coach Shane Ritchie, who is also campus operations manager for the College’s Cape May County campus, has high hopes for Ramirez and the women’s cross-country program as a whole this year.
“Alex was thrilled and is positive that she can improve on her times in the upcoming meets. As a competitive distance runner, she wants to use this finish as motivation and try to get Atlantic Cape a first-place medal,” said Ritchie. “We are hoping to build off of the success from last year's inaugural season. I am very optimistic about our chances and hope that the success this season will be the inspiration for the growth of the team (both internally and with local high school athletes) as we continue to build the program.”
Visit https://atlanticcape.edu/athletics/womens-cross-country/index.php for upcoming schedule and further information.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May County campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
