Devin Ruiz \\ ’23 B.S. Mathematics
By Kim Lamb Gregory
CSUCI alumnus Devin Ruiz crossed the stage at the 2023 Commencement ceremony, accepted his degree in Mathematics, walked down the ramp, and did a backflip.
“His backflips were a perfect reflection of his fearless spirit and determination,” said Associate Professor of Mathematics Cynthia Flores. “Devin is a champion of mathematics who leaves an impression on everyone who works with him.”
Ruiz is also a taekwondo champion. He holds 17 state titles, four district titles, and two world titles from the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), now known as ATA Martial Arts.
After graduating, Ruiz now spends his days working at Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) and his evenings teaching martial arts to kids.
“I like the work-life balance of the Navy,” he said. “You have your 40 hours a week, and then I go home and have the rest of the day to do taekwondo.”
Ruiz is now in the Financial Management Career Program (FMCP) at NBVC. Trainees in this program are being prepared to become Department of the Navy (DON) financial management professionals at U.S. Navy and Marine Corps commands located throughout the United States.
At night and on weekends, Ruiz teaches kids martial arts at the Ignite ATA Martial Arts in Camarillo.
“I set a bar for my students, and I don’t drop the bar,” Ruiz said. “They have to meet the bar that I set, but eventually, I want them to set their own bar and live up to it.”
The focus and discipline of martial arts helped Ruiz when he was at CSUCI as a student and now as he is embarking on a career in finance.
“My mind is moving a thousand miles an hour,” Ruiz said. “Whenever I needed to do something study-related, taekwondo helped me focus.”
Ruiz was introduced to his first taekwondo class at age 11 and was immediately hooked.
“I loved it the very first day,” he said. “I started competing about a year later and got my first California state title. I love competition. I like to learn and love to practice.”
Ruiz and his older sister grew up in Ventura where he graduated from Ventura High School with their mom working in real estate and their dad working as a disc jockey for Los Angeles FM stations. Ruiz would often go to work with his dad, making his radio debut at age five.
“He put me on the radio when I was young with ‘Devin the Dude’s CD and DVD review,’”
Ruiz said. “Whenever new songs or albums came out, I got to review them—sometimes
movies, too.”
Both of Ruiz’s parents noticed his math skills early and encouraged him to attend college. He is the first in his family to graduate from a university.
Once at CSUCI, Flores inspired Ruiz to further develop his mathematics skills, which eventually resulted in a fulfilling career in the U.S. Navy civil service.
“He embodies a sense of what it means to be both curious and courageous,” Flores said. “I’m so proud he is an alumnus of CSUCI.”