by Dwight Henson
PISD Communications
Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, Rice University, University of Texas and University of Pennsylvania…what do they all have in common?
Each of them has accepted South Houston High School senior Julio Perez for the 2019-2020 academic school year.
“I’m between attending Harvard or Princeton, but I’m leaning towards Harvard right now,” said Perez. “Even though I was supposed to be accepted by March 28th, they sent me an email on March first, and that automatically caught my attention and made me see that I got accepted to one of the most talented and famous schools in the entire country.”
Whichever college he chooses, Perez can rest easy knowing that the majority of his tuition will be paid through financial aid.
“If I go to Harvard for one year, it’d be 80,000 for that single year,” said Perez. “With the financial aid I’m getting from Harvard, they would pay 76,000 of those dollars, while the other 4,000 could be paid off through work study-- and if I get a scholarship I’ll be able to pay off all of Harvard without paying a single cent.”
Perez looks forward to continuing his family’s legacy by becoming the second person in his household to attend an Ivy League School.
“My sister also came to South Houston High School and she ended up getting accepted to Cornell University,” said Perez. “When she heard that I got accepted to Harvard, which was her dream school her senior year, she was absolutely amazed by it.”
While his sister finishes up her bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics, Perez is carving his own path by pursuing a degree in Applied Mathematics.
“Even though someone may not understand it or even appreciate it, math is really a huge part of our lives,” said Perez. “Although I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, applied math gives me the chance to go deep inside math, but still have a broad range of careers I can take over in the future.”
One may think that with Perez being accepted to eight universities and passing seven AP exams, he may not have time for anything but academic pursuits. But in addition to playing in the drumline and rooting for the football team on the weekends, he also takes time to give back to the community.
“My involvement in the community is something I view as very important,” said Perez. “I’m trying to leave a legacy that focuses a lot on not just education, but about being friends and being compassionate about everyone you hang out with.”
Ivy league bound, but with roots in the community firmly intact, no matter where he ends up, Julio Perez will always be a Trojan.
“I’m extremely proud to be a Trojan because it’s shaped me into the person I am today,” said Perez. “I wouldn’t have probably gone to Harvard or all the summer programs at Yale or Notre Dame. I would have never seen myself doing this if I wasn’t part of South Houston High School.”
Ever humble, despite all of his accomplishments, Perez can rest assured that South Houston High School is proud he is a Trojan too.