Moses Lake native looks to Marine Corps for unique challenges
Abram Ramirez of Moses Lake is studying animal and veterinary science and preparing for a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps.
COURTESY PHOTO/JOE PALLEN/UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
| March 28, 2022 1:15 AM
MOSCOW, Idaho — To say that Moses Lake native Abram Ramirez likes a challenge is an understatement.
A sophomore at the University of Idaho, Ramirez is pursuing a degree in animal and veterinary science: production option while also preparing for a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“I wanted to do something hard. I didn’t want an easy, lackluster kind of life,” he said.
Ramirez grew up in Moses Lake and knew from a young age that he wanted to join the military. He enlisted in the Marine Corps delayed entry program at age 17 and chose to be a marine because he felt it was the most challenging of the U.S. armed services.
“I knew going into the Marine Corps was going to be a huge challenge and make me into the man I wanted to be. As a young kid, not many people know that they want to be a specific kind of person, so I felt like I was kind of lucky to have that kind of idea,” Ramirez said.
Once he enlisted, Ramirez learned of the Navy and Marine Corps ROTC program at U of I and the opportunity to commission as an officer — a more challenging opportunity.
“The smaller percentage of the Marine Corps is officers and when you compare it to the rest of our military, the Marine Corps is the smallest branch,” Ramirez said. “So being that smaller number inside the smallest branch is the harder way and that’s really attractive to me.”
Ramirez just likes a challenge, he said.
“If it’s harder, I want to do it,” Ramirez said.
He was 10 days from shipping out for basic training when Ramirez learned that he had received the National Scholarship from the Marine Corps, a four-year scholarship that covers tuition, books and provides a monthly stipend.
When it came time to choose a major, Ramirez had always loved agriculture and animals, so he turned to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
“I saw that U of I had a really good ag program and I really like agriculture,” he said. “Moses Lake is big in that, so I thought I’d give it a shot and I did and ended up loving it.”