Reverend Ramon
In 2001, Ramon Orostizaga, his wife, and two daughters moved from Chile to Jersey City. It was Ramon’s educational journey that led him to Princeton Theological Seminary in 2010 where he obtained two Masters Degrees in Divinity and Theology, graduating in 2014. It was during his time as a theology student that he learned about Princeton Community Housing. In 2017, Ramon, his wife, and his three daughters – the youngest born in the United States – moved to Princeton Community Village (PCV).
Living in PCV has allowed the Orostizaga family to truly be a part of the Princeton community. Commuting to work is quite easy for Ramon’s wife, Marlene, who is an Instructional Assistant for the Autism program at Riverside Elementary School. Ramon and Marlene’s daughters have been educated in the Princeton Public School system. Their eldest two are now students at Stockton and George Washington University; the youngest has just finished her last year at John Witherspoon Middle School. Ramon's home in Princeton is easily accessible to New Brunswick, where he holds two jobs. Ramon is a Bilingual Chaplain at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, and a Pastor at Suydam Street Reformed Church. Speaking both Spanish and English allows Ramon to communicate and provide support to individuals who otherwise feel isolated or unsafe due to a language barrier.
In addition to living in the town where they work and go to school, the Orostizaga family feels a sense of community in Princeton. In their free time, they enjoy participating in the activities held at PCV, the events that happen in Princeton, such as Communiversity, or simply taking a walk into town to get ice cream. Ramon is grateful to raise his children in a community that is not only safe, friendly, and provides a multitude of opportunities, but has a diverse population that differs in religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.