Degree(s)
Bachelor of Science, Radio TV Film, The University of Texas at Austin 1982
Teaching Certificate, English/Spanish, The University of Texas at Austin 1986

Mr. Ignacio Ruiz was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. In search of religious freedom, his family left Cuba to Jamaica and entered the US as a permanent resident. He grew up in Puerto Rico where he and his family became citizens of the United States. Mr. Ruiz went to high school and began college in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After his family moved to Texas, he attended and proudly graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with an Radio TV and Film degree. Mr Ruiz worked for the Catholic Television of San Antonio for a year where he learned to do just about anything that needed to be done. But he was look for something more. Once he returned home, he prayed and asked the Lord to guide him on to the next stage.

The Lord guided him to teaching. Mr. Ruiz went back to take the necessary courses in Education. He received his certification from UT to teach Spanish and English and was part of the opening staff at Kealing School in Austin, TX in 1986. Three years later, he transferred to James Bowie High School where he worked for 27 years.

At the same time, he was volunteering and serving at St. Paul Catholic Church, helping with youth, choir and Eucharistic Mininstry.

Mr. Ruiz has been involved with Technology Training, Curriculum Writing and Using Technology in the Spanish classroom, becoming the pioneering TECHs team for the Austin Independent School District. He has been a presenter and trainer of teachers at the school, district and national levels. He has had the opportunity to present at the internationally level as well.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ruiz has had the opportunity to discover Spain— taking graduate classes there, researching Zarzuelas, and visiting his family on his father’s side. He also took graduate-level classes at Texas State By this time all his family had moved to Norman. After 30 years of teaching, Mr. Ruiz decided to retire. The Lord had other plans for him….

Mr. Ruiz lives with his mother, who was living along since his father’s death. He has a sister, a brother-in-law a nephew, a niece-in-law, three nieces, two nephews-in-law, and 11 grand nephews and nieces. Mr. Ruiz has been blessed with being a part of The Mount since the fall of 2017. He began as full-time technology/computer teacher. Lately, he has been teaching Spanish and is beginning the Spanish for Heritage Speakers program. He is looking forward to many more years of serving the Lord in his community.

He is a member of St. Mark Catholic Church where he serves as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist and work with LifeTeen. Mr. Ruiz is also a Knight of Columbus.

Favorite Quote: “I consider it a gift and a privilege from the Lord to be His minister serving others, at the same time that I am enjoying working as a teacher.”