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Filipinos tender Christmas parties like no other. Every Christmas feast features a table laden with food, food and more food. Gifts and door prizes for raffles and some contests also overflow as though the U.S. economy has never been better. But that’s just how we as a people are. We don’t have to be rich to enjoy life. We simply know how to make the most of God’s blessings, no matter how much or how little they might be. The spirit of giving and gratitude is ingrained in our being and bringing out the best of what we have on Christmas day is simply a part of our culture.
So, last Friday, December 10, Carefirst Home Health Services, Inc. had its inauguration and Christmas Party with no less than our Consul General, Leo Herrera Lim as its guest of honor. Well, recounting the entire event for you will be much easier if you’d just turn to page 15 where the entire celebration has been captured in Edna Pavel’s pictures.
Gary Ruiz, Lead Exterior Designer, Full Size Trucks
Ever heard of the new Chevy Volt? It’s Chevy’s electric car which was just recently named “Green Car of the Year” at the LA Auto Show and “Car of the Year” by Motor Trend Magazine and Automobile Magazine. The car is just now beginning to hit select showrooms.
The Volt delivers an electric-only driving range between 25 and 50 miles, and can drive more than 300 miles, under all weather conditions, with its range-extending engine generator. Given that 8 out of 10 Americans drive fewer than 40 miles a day, the car is truly a game-changer. Many will never have to go to the gas station again.
Here’s the good news, one member of the team responsible for the Volt’s electrifying new exterior and interior design is Filipino, Gary Ruiz.
Gary Ruiz’s life was pretty mapped out. He was attending The Ohio State University studying pharmacy, following in the footsteps of his mother and sister. Then one day, he went to class with a friend at Ohio State’s design school. He was immediately fascinated by the students designing golf clubs – their creativity was inspiring. Gary had discovered his new passion: design.
However, after four years studying pharmacy, Gary thought he should at least give the profession a try. “I thought I could change the world through medicine but soon realized that I couldn’t,” he said. After a year and a half of working as a pharmacist, he knew it was not the right fit for him. He decided to follow his gut and enrolled at the College for Creative Studies where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design. He’s been designing cars ever since.
Gary, 36, has been at General Motors for the past five years and most recently as lead exterior designer for the Volt – the plug-in electric vehicle that can go 25 to 50 miles without ever using a drop of gasoline.
Inspirations for Gary’s designs come from all over – architecture, furniture, fashion, and even cities. “San Francisco and Vancouver are two cities that really inspire me. Their diverse culture represents a mixing of urban and outdoor lifestyles. It is this appreciation for the outdoors that leads to an environmentally friendly solution like the Volt.”
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Gary, his wife and son reside outside Detroit. When he isn’t designing cars, you will find Gary on the ice of the local hockey rink practicing for his next game.