Son of famous Orange County blues guitarist graduates from Oxford Academy despite obstacles

As Johnny Ramos takes his first steps this week as a graduate of the renowned Oxford Academy and moves into the next chapter of his life, he’ll be sure to hold onto his roots.

The 18-year-old from Anaheim is the son of famed blues guitarist Kid Ramos, who’s been entertaining audiences with his blistering guitar skills for decades in bands like the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Johnny Ramos inherited his father’s skills on the axe along with a singing voice. While music has come easy for him, getting through Oxford was a struggle.

Oxford Academy in Cypress is ranked the second best high school in California by U.S. News and World Report. Although it’s a public school, Oxford is defined by rigorous academia. But it’s a guaranteed highway to college as 100% of students move on.

As part of the Anaheim Union High School District, the school — which covers middle and high school — admits kids from elementary schools in Anaheim, Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress and Stanton.

Johnny Ramos said as he was growing up, kids would speak about the school as though it were mythological.

“In Anaheim elementary schools, it’s kind of like a legend,” Ramos said. “When a kid would go to Oxford, we would say, ‘Wow, they made it.’ When I got in I felt I really accomplished something.”

It would be no easy feat.

The year he entered the school his father was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma.

“It was a really difficult time because I was trying to figure out who I am and I was just thrown into this school,” Johnny Ramos said. “Only a few kids had been chosen from my elementary so I had to meet all new people. I had to figure all this out and worry about if my dad was going to be there the next year.”

He also came to the conclusion that if his father were to pass away, he needed to make sure the Ramos musical tradition was preserved. He began to learn guitar.

“I came to the realization that I needed to learn guitar from him because he is such a great guitarist,” Johnny Ramos said. “It’s a tradition I was scared to lose.”

Music became a respite from the grief. Kid Ramos announced he was cancer free in 2014 when he claimed the Orange County Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

While Johnny Ramos developed his musical skills, Oxford didn’t get any easier. He went on academic probation due to an inadequate GPA several times, with the most recent stint lasting his entire junior year. He was able to work his way through it by hours of tutoring and extra classes.

“Johnny is a kid who stands out,” said Fabiana Muench-Casanova, an Oxford teacher who helped him through school. “It’s been the best watching him progress. I love it when the kids who have the odds stacked against them persevere.”

Johnny Ramos plans to go to Fullerton College and focus on advancing his music career. His band, Johnny and Jaalene, recently performed at Viva Las Vegas, a rockabilly festival. Kid Ramos played on stage along with them.

Johnny Ramos’ debut record will be on his father’s new album, “Old School.” The release party for the record will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Gaslamp Restaurant and Bar at 6251 East Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach.

Although Oxford has many success stories with Latino students like Johnny Ramos, there is a sentiment on campus that the school needs to do more to support the Latino community, as evidenced in a recent article in the school’s newspaper delineating the struggles of Latino students.

Muench-Casanova said the school should better reflect the demographics of the Anaheim Union High School District. According to the California Department of Education, 67.8% of the district’s student body is Hispanic or Latino, yet 18.1% of Oxford’s students fit that category.

Muench-Casanova said because the school can be such a positive gateway, it should seek to bring in students who aren’t coming from a place of affluence, thereby supporting the largest ethnic group in the district.

Oxford principal Alicia Baillie said one of the most prominent issues educators deal with is how to close the “achievement gap,” or the differences in performance of groups — usually defined by race, ethnicity or socioeconomics.

While Oxford seeks to combat this by drawing students from elementary schools throughout the district, it hasn’t resulted in a student body that matches the demographics of the district. According to the California Department of Education, Asians make up the majority of Oxford students at 61.9%, despite 13.1% of students being Asian in the district.

District spokeswoman Patricia Karlak and Baillie said much is being done to rectify the situation.

For outreach purposes, Baillie and other school officials visit elementary schools to teach about Oxford’s principles — trips organized by a family and community engagement specialist. Oxford also has a Hispanic parent group, Karlak said.

To help Latino students who may not have the same resources as others on campus, the Assn. of Latin American Students — which is advised by Muench-Casanova — has alumni mentors. The club has also completed several workshops with parents as part of outreach efforts.

Programs like Advancement Via Individual Determination and Link Crew help students be successful. AVID encourages students to develop skills to be college-ready and Link Crew has older students show younger ones the ropes on campus.

“I think our measures are greater than many other schools and very fair; however, we can always grow and that’s our goal,” Baillie said.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot