CEVARISTO RAMOS JR. (Roo) was raised in Houston, Texas and growing up, he always had an eye for technology. From an early age, he was drawn to design and engineering, going on to attend an aviation-focused high school. This path set him on a lifelong journey of learning, which grew into a passion for hands-on innovation and collaboration. His vision became reality when he founded a makerspace in Houston, but, as he recalls, "the people I needed weren’t there; they didn’t really exist." So, Roo made a change after completing a career in the oilfield that would shape the course of his career: he moved to Canada.

Roo’s journey led him to the Indigenous Friends Association (IFA) as he navigated the challenges of moving countries while also reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage. Moving to Canada during COVID, he faced tough decisions about his future, especially his desire to pursue college and professional growth. After completing a diploma, Roo reached out to the IFA and was guided towards the IndigiTECH program. He was unsure if he was eligible due to his age but was shortly welcomed into the program despite his initial concerns.

While he was familiar with network systems and programming, the program’s supportive environment allowed him to sharpen those skills and fill in knowledge gaps. “IndigiTECH gave me a wider lens to view tech issues and barriers in Canada,” Roo reflects. Roo collaborated with his cohort on unique projects like revamping the website for If These Lands Could Talk, where the team learned to strike a balance between creating dynamic, responsive elements and honoring the client’s preference for static elements This hands-on work prepared him to tackle real-world tech challenges and gave him a valuable perspective on user-centered design.

Beyond the technical skills, Roo found a sense of community and purpose at IFA. He appreciated the facilitators’ practical teaching style and, as someone already seasoned in tech, enjoyed contributing to the cohort’s learning environment. Roo even created a Slack channel called “Learning Tech with Roo,” where he shared free resources, visual aids, and general tech knowledge to support his peers. This initiative grew into a source of valuable tech insights for the group and provided Roo an informal avenue to give back to the program.

After completing IndigiTECH, Roo transitioned into an internship with IFA, where he expanded his HTML and Java knowledge and gained experience using GitHub to collaborate on projects. The IFA internship gave him a solid framework for teamwork, allowing him and his colleagues to rotate roles, switch focus, and learn from one another in a hands-on setting. Working through different challenges together prepared him well for his current role, which led him full circle to becoming an Administrative Assistant with the IFA.

Looking ahead, Roo hopes to continue using his skills to elevate Indigenous voices, already helping to create a website for Guelph’s Indigenous Community Council to share resources and amplify community perspectives. Roo is now a dedicated IFA employee, bringing his tech skills and collaborative spirit to foster learning and growth among future cohorts, and using his journey to inspire and support the organization’s mission every day.