Antonio
Luis Perez
A
Antonio Luis Perez knows what it means to pay it forward. The accomplishments that punctuate his résumé
would impress even the most motivated among us, but
it’s this 21-year-old’s desire to give back that sets him
apart. In May, Perez, an old soul with a fiery, youthful
drive, earned a mechanical engineering degree from
the University of Virginia, where he spent much of his
time mentoring younger students. In person, he’s gracious, gentle and polite; it’s clear someone has raised
this kid right.
Perez’s parents moved to the United States from
Puerto Rico before he was born but separated when he was 2. Perez is grateful
that both his parents have remained
actively involved in his life, an outcome
he realizes was not guaranteed. He grew
up speaking Spanish in both households,
yet he has made an effort to bridge the
two cultures.
“I’ve tried to embrace the best of both
worlds,” he says. “When I’m home, it’s
like I’m in Puerto Rico.”
Perez feels a strong sense of social
responsibility because so many positive
role models have guided his path. Dur-
ing high school, Perez discovered the
Hispanic College Fund, a D.C.-based
nonprofit that has awarded $15 mil-
lion in scholarships to more than 5,000
Hispanic youths. He attended the orga-
nization’s Hispanic Youth Symposium,
TRENDSETTERS
an eye-opening, four-day event that mixed informative
workshops with fun and got him thinking about the
college application process. Thanks to the Hispanic
College Fund, he was awarded a NASA Motivating
Undergraduates in Science and Technology Scholarship
and completed summer internships at Cleveland’s NASA
Glenn Research Center and Maryland’s Goddard Space
Flight Center.
This past year, Perez served as president of the
University of Virginia’s chapter of the Society of His-
panic Professional Engineers. His proudest and most
fulfilling accomplishments there involved youth out-
reach programs, such as organizing an on-campus
conference to motivate 200 low-income Hispanic high
school students. The event required raising $50,000, a
feat that Perez jokes “was no bake sale.”
So what will Perez tackle next? Down the road, he
envisions law school, but for the next two years he will
inspire youngsters as a Teach for America secondary
math instructor, passing on the invaluable gift of educa-
tion. Although he’s discovered that engineering may not
be his passion (“I like to solve more human problems”),
he praises the crucial life tools this field provides.
Perez credits his parents for all of his success.
“Everything I do is because of and for them,” he
says. “It means the world to me to make them proud.”
— Corinne Whiting
Who’s the [Cake] Boss?
On May 7, Amtrak kicked off its third annual National Train
Day with a special event in New York’s Penn Station. In anticipation of the next day’s events in
Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia
and Washington, D.C.—
commemorating the 141st anniversary of the United States’ first
transcontinental railroad—event
spokesman Taye Diggs boarded a
train bound for D. C., but only after
sharing with revelers perhaps the
greatest treat of all—cake!
Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, N.J., the site of the TV show
Cake Boss, created a “trainscape” made of cake and other edi-
ble confections by “The Boss” him-
self, Buddy Valastro (right)—sorry,
Bruce— and included a model train
installation provided by Bachmann
Trains. Some lucky attendees of the
kick-off party got to enjoy some cake,
as well as the spirited atmosphere
and departure of Diggs as he set off
for Washington, D.C. Cake Boss airs
Monday nights at 9 p.m. on TLC.
