When You Wish Upon A Star

I once heard in a movie, “You got a dream... You gotta protect it. People can't do somethin' themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. If you want somethin', go get it. Period!” (Pursuit of Happiness). Since the day that I first tasted air, I have faced adversity. Like a grotesque disease it has followed me everywhere, but I have never taken that as an excuse to give up on my dreams. From a divorced household to stereotypes to threats on my life, I have never given in to these limitations, always looking to exceed society’s expectations of me. Never settling for less, I have been blessed with the gift of being driven.

July 8, 1989, a date that will forever carry significance with me, I was born to Sheila Dore and Paul Perez Sr. Born out of wedlock, my parents decided to get married figuring it was the “right thing to do”, but with dad dropping out of his freshman year of college and mom barely graduating from high school, our American Dream would quickly fade away. My mom had to go in search of government assistance and received W.I.C. (Women, Infants, & Children) which was designed to aid low-income mothers, who were unable to provide sufficient fundamental needs to her child.  My dad had to work two jobs, a salesman in the fish department at Albertson’s and attempting vigorous training to join the El Paso Fire Department. As I grew up, I learned to appreciate the smaller things in life, such as family, that would teach me values and morals.

 My parents began having relationship issues, and at the age of eleven, decided that it was better to go their separate ways, after several years of arguing and abuse on each other. Torn between my parent’s love, I felt that I was the reason for the divorce and as if I had broken our family apart. My parents began seeing other people, making the case more so that I kept driving them apart. I began to see a therapist because I developed abnormal habits that concerned my parents. He diagnosed me with nervous trauma and said that I had suffered from turrets.   I had a drastic reality check which forced me to accept the fact that I could not be a child anymore. I no longer felt like I was momma’s little boy or daddy’s little champ. Rather than be a statistic, I made changes in my life embracing my new role as an adult. I realized the true meaning of a greater calling.

The transition into high school brought along social differences. The importance of cliques and social gatherings was a new essential to surviving high school life. I was a timid and shy individual who only knew academics, basketball and baseball. Because I had played both these sports year-round since I was four, I was able to excel making the varsity baseball team my freshman year, and varsity basketball team my sophomore year. I earned titles of All-District athlete, Honorable Mention, All-City athlete, Most Improved on my team, and Academic-All-State athlete, an accolade where you had to maintain an “A” average, as well as an All-District/City athlete. As I grew more confident in my studies and athletics, my social life also expanded and began to open me up to the social aspects of high school. Never staying glued to one clique, I began diversifying my academic and social portfolio. I was no longer accepting mediocrity as an allowable passage through my studies. I geared my attention to college, in my AVID class (Advanced via Individual Determination), taking certain steps that I felt necessary to prepare myself for what was to come after high school. I became the Student Body Manager for student council emceeing pep rallies, meetings, and out-of-town field trips. That job also entitled me to promote school pride and spirit amongst the student body itself. I also was a member of the National Honor Society, and nominated to the Mayor’s Top 100 Teens list.
                During my junior year at the University of Texas at El Paso, I stumbled upon one of my greatest accomplishments in life. At a basketball game I was approached by this fan in an orange jumpsuit. I had no previous encounters with this man, but when he spoke to me he mentioned my outgoing spirit and unique way of getting into the game. He went on to talk about how he used to be the mascot of UTEP and how he said I would be the perfect fit for what the university needed. A couple weeks later, I was contacted by someone in the athletics department and mentioned that the man in the jumpsuit had recommended me for the job. Unsure, I accepted and was given a chance to show my skills. I had no prior training as a mascot so I was very skeptical as to what I was to do. Before I knew it I was bringing the fight back into the games, attracting more people, creating a new dynamic of entertainment for the fans, and representing my university to my best ability.

They say that as a mascot there are two accomplishments worth bragging about: one is being crowned the UCA champion, which is a mascot competition amongst others, and the other one is being invited to the Capital One Mascot Challenge. Within my 1^st six months of being UTEP’s Paydirt Pete, I was selected to be one of sixteen nationally recognized mascots out of all the FBS and FCS schools in the United States. Not to mention the only on selected in Texas. I, had become, a 2010 Capital One Mascot Challenge Finalist.

My aspirations are to obtain a sociology degree as an undergrad, then take that further and focus on my degree in law. I have experienced the power and influence that the law has on society, which I feel positively influence the human lifestyle. It is hard to see how my future will be shaped, but I know that I have this problem because of the amount of opportunities that I have taken in. As I look through the eyes of that helmet, I am no longer Paul Perez Jr., I am a representative of my school, community, and the greater El Paso, TX area in which I must show that I am prepared for the demands that so many people expect of me to achieve. If I am to obtain make my fantasy’s come true then I must know that my character is not living in a fable, but rather writing my own chapter to a history that is full of uniqueness. If I am to be able to be successful, then I must continue to never follow someone else’s path, but instead be the star that everyone wishes upon, and that, is why I still dream!