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Erik Perez awarded $1,000 ‘What’s Your Story?’ essay contest scholarship 

Erik Perez will never forget the first time he stepped foot into Yosemite National Park and saw its beauty.

“I didn’t want to leave – it’s so amazing,” he said. “I was a Junior Ranger for four years there when they told me, ‘You’re too old to still do this.’ That’s when I started volunteering at Yosemite. Now, I want to be a park ranger for a living.”

Perez is working toward an Associate of Science at Victoria College after enrolling in August 2022. He plans to take one semester off to return to Yosemite for a seasonal job in the spring before returning to school.

“I really felt like I was making a difference as a volunteer, and I love being out in nature,” he said. “I have a big passion for the environment, which made me realize I was having fun, and it made me feel good.

“The best thing is when you’re a park ranger, you live in the park. The park is your backyard. When I started volunteering and learning about the animals and plants, it clicked with me that helping the environment and the park is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

During his time as a VC student, Perez helped revive HAVEN, an LGBTQ student club that had been dormant. He served as president of the club before turning his attention to student government.

“I went to the student government table at a Club Fair,” he said. “They had a sign-up sheet to get more information about student government. I’ve always kept up with politics, although I was never in student government in high school. I went to the meeting and really liked it. I ended up running for historian.”

Perez serves as historian for VC and the Texas Junior College State Government Association, which helped him develop a sense of belonging after moving from San Diego to Victoria to live with relatives.

“Student government is very fun,” he said. “I’ve made so many friends with people from all over Texas, all the way up to Amarillo College. It looks really good on a resume, too.

“When I transfer to a four-year university, I know that they're going to want to look for somebody who is a well-rounded student. So, I made it my goal to get involved on campus.”

In addition to his extracurricular activities, Perez was recognized as one of four winners of VC’s "What's Your Story?" essay contest, which includes a $1,000 scholarship. Estranged from his family in San Diego, he wrote about the welcoming community he found at VC after his move to Texas.

“It was nice to be able to talk about my story in writing an essay,” he said. “I work on campus for Student Life, so my coworkers and advisors knew about my situation; I have told them about it since I got here. They have been really supportive.”

Perez hopes to graduate sometime in 2024 before moving on to Texas State University, where he plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. He believes his experience with HAVEN and student and state government will help him make the transition to a four-year university, and he encourages other students to get involved as well.

VC offers more than 20 student groups, including the Student Government Association, special-interest and religious organizations, academic organizations, and honor societies.

“I always tell everyone in my classes to join a club or student government,” he said. “It really builds up your transfer application. It’s also a lot of fun. We get to travel to different conferences in the state.

“At first, I was bummed to not go straight into a four-year school, but the experience at Victoria College has been great. I made a lot of friends here, but also on the state level. I didn't really expect that when I first applied here, and I just realized there's so many things that you can accomplish when you get involved in clubs and extracurriculars.”