A love for the arts took one Rio Grande Valley native all the way to the Big Apple.

Devin Ramirez has been working behind the scenes on big Broadway productions.

A proud Rio Grande City native, Ramirez is now a manager and producer on some of Broadway's biggest hits, but his love for the arts began in the Valley.

"I found that participating in Props and Poetry, UIL, One Act Play was often the access point to the arts and that outlet to expressing myself," Ramirez said.

Ramirez graduated from Rio Grande City High School in 2016 and then headed to the University of Texas in Austin. 

He was all set to try and get into the medical field, but his theatre teacher in high school gave him some inspiration.

"The theatre director at my high school at the time really encouraged me when some UT Austin theatre staff came to do a recruitment event and that's when I realized this might be for me," Ramirez said.

And because of that little push from his teacher, Ramirez graduated with his BFA in acting during the COVID pandemic.

"I had to ask the hard questions of what I wanted to do next, which I think for me, as devastating as the pandemic was for many people, I think it served as a really good reflection point for me and possibly for others because I had to reckon with that I valued," Ramirez said.

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Ramirez then headed to New York City to attend the graduate program at Columbia University which helped him get into the door of different productions.

It led him to become a freelance company manager for different projects.

"My job is to manage a single show in all capacities, all departments and be the central hub for all of the goings-on regarding a show," Ramirez said.

Some of the projects he has worked on include the pre-Broadway engagements of "Job" and "Oh Mary." He also got his producing debut on "Drag: The Musical."

"Very highly acclaimed received revival of "Heathers: The Musical" after 10 years, which was very fun and I am very excited. I am currently working on the very highly anticipated revival of The Rocky Horror Show," Ramirez said.

Ramirez says he's happy to see the arts growing in the Valley with different production companies and projects.

"To see in a very short period of time how much it's grown very expansively really makes me happy to see how the appreciation for the arts has kind of expanded exponentially in the Valley," Ramirez said.

He says he proudly represents the Valley in every space he is in and will continue to do so. 

Ramirez said he's also thankful that his parents supported him in the arts and hopes parents of Valley kids wanting to enter the arts will encourage them as well.

"I am very grateful coming from a place where people don't have a lot of access to a lot of means and opportunities, they have to grind for what they want, I take that work ethic and principles very seriously in what I do," Ramirez said.

Devin Ramirez is Made in the 956.