Redefining Healthcare Equity

From a rural barangay in the Philippines to Puna on Hawaiʻi Island, Lexy Ramos’s journey shows how community commitment can redefine leadership and unlock transformative potential. As a University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo biology major with a 3.98 GPA, Ramos holds two of higher education’s most prestigious honors: selection as a UH Presidential Scholar and a national 2026–2027 Newman Civic Fellow.

“I don’t fit the traditional image of a leader, but my commitment to my community has driven meaningful change,” Ramos reflected. That dedication stems directly from her roots in rural Puna and the Philippines. “My background has taught me that making a difference begins with recognizing a need and addressing it by working alongside the community, empowering one another to contribute our unique skills and to build solutions together.”

Lexy Kaye Ramos has been selected for Campus Compact’s 2026–2027 Newman Civic Fellows cohort.

A Foundation Built on Support and Mentorship

Ramos’s path has been sustained by strong mentorship, beginning with Mrs. Yamamoto, her teacher at Keaʻau High School, who first inspired her to pursue higher education. That pattern has continued at UH Hilo. “Lexy’s ability to surround herself with people who support her is so important, because when she hits challenges, she has a really amazing support system in place to get her through them,” said Julie Mowrer, EdD, Director of the English Language Institute and Acting Director of the Center for Community Engagement.

Ramos learned about the Newman Civic Fellowship through the Bonner Leadership Program and selected Program Coordinator Shania Tamagyongfal, who encouraged her to apply, to serve as her year-long mentor.

Creating Social Impact Beyond Service

Ramos went on to excel as a third-year Bonner Student Leader at UH Hilo, where mentors encouraged her to apply for the Newman Civic Fellowship.

“I was drawn to this fellowship because it would challenge me to grow beyond participating in service and towards actively creating and organizing social impact,” Ramos explained.

“Lexy embodies the university’s commitment to kuleana through service-centered leadership and community engagement. She views leadership not as authority, but as a shared responsibility to bring people together across differences and create meaningful change,” said UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin.

UH Hilo Chancellor Bonnie Irwin nominated Ramos for the Newman Civic Fellowship when she was a sophomore and active member of HOSA – Future Health Professionals.

We are honored to play a role in Lexy’s growth, accepting the key passed to us by her middle and high school mentors, and opening the door that the Civic Newman Fellowing provides. We are confident that she will represent our university and community well, with the humility and care that she has always shown.

Paving the Way for Community Health and Equity

Ramos aims to become a physician in Hawaiʻi, a goal shaped by mentor Jasmine Padamada through the Medical Student Mentorship Program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Ramos immigrated from the Philippines with her mother in elementary school and graduated from Keaʻau High School before attending UH Hilo, where she was selected as a Presidential Scholar.

“She taught me that people from communities and backgrounds like mine can become physicians too,” Ramos shared. Guided by the Ilokano proverb “Ti tao nga nakaam-ammo ti rigat, isu ti makaawat ti padana” — those who understand hardship understand others — Ramos views medicine and civic action as inseparable.

“Whether through community health initiatives, mentorship, education, or medicine, I want to pay forward the support that changed what I believed was possible for me and help create that same sense of possibility for others in my community.”

A Shared Victory for the Future

As she prepares for fellowship training and the Annual Convening of Newman Civic Fellows in Washington, D.C., Ramos is grateful to her family, friends, Chancellor Irwin, the Bonner Leadership Program, the NHCOE Kauhale Medical Scholars Program, the Zonta Club of Hilo, and her educators.

For Ramos, every open door is a shared victory — and an invitation to pave the way for others.

Ramos laughs with fellow UH Hilo student Ava Santos while conducting an experiment in the Tao Research Lab.