9 Athena

My name is Athena Ramos. I am a Latina, a leader, a wife, a mother of four, and a concerned global citizen working to create a healthier, more inclusive, and vibrant community. I work at the University of Nebraska Medical Center as an Assistant Professor in the College of Public Health. I wanted to participate in the 100 People in Omaha project because I believe in the power of the arts to amplify, change, or steer individual perspectives and community narrative. My portrait highlights my hobby...I am an adult competitive figure skater with the Figure Skating Club of Omaha. The portrait is me when I competed at the U.S. Adult National Figure Skating Championships a few years ago. I took second place in my age category and in my division. This is an important image to me because I believe that you are never too old to follow your passion. Many believe that figure skating is a sport only for the young, but as I have come to realize over the last decade, it can really be a life sport AND Omaha has a growing adult figure skating community. Community is built through the relationships that you keep and mutual support between individuals. You can create community in your neighborhood, at your workplace, or through your personal and professional interests. I am grateful to share the ice with such a supportive community!