Perez overcomes obstacles, builds bright future
After being born in Fort Myers, for a time Armando Perez grew up on Pine Island. He attended Pine Island Elementary School until the third grade when his family left to go back to Mexico because of the recession, he said.
“I only finished middle school in Mexico. It was tough there. It’s expensive to go to high school,” Perez said, adding that many families there need help.
Many of the children there don’t have the same opportunities as the kids here, and often don’t go to school anymore because of all of their other obligations in their lives, he said. He recalls that he watched much of the natural talent among his classmates go to waste as it was too costly for many of them to go to school, and they opted not to go instead.
Early in 2016, just after turning 18, Perez came back to the United States by himself. He said he never expected to go back to school. His plan originally was just to get back here and go to work, at what he calls a regular job, such as construction.
“I was just going to go to work as any other regular person — just showing up to work every morning,” Perez said.
He stayed on Pine Island and had roommates to help make ends meet. He said he got his GED in 8 months and applied for any scholarship that he was aware of on Pine Island, including one from the Bobby Holloway Jr. Memorial Foundation, which he received and said it will go toward college tuition. In fact, he qualified for every scholarship offered on Pine Island.
Perez has since obtained an associate’s degree from Florida SouthWestern State College and is close to completing his bachelor’s degree at Florida Gulf Coast University.
Beacon of HOPE Board Member Carlyn Herring asked him if he would like to join the Beacon board of directors and he obliged, saying he is happy to be useful wherever he is needed on the island.
“I like to help wherever I can, so whatever I can help out with, I do,” Perez said.
He said these days he keeps busy mostly by doing landscaping work here on Pine Island, as he has started his own landscaping company, called Boots and Roots. He also helps many older folks with their own yards, often out of the kindness of his own heart. They keep his number handy and, of course, he’s happy to lend a hand whenever they call him.
In addition to landscaping work, for which he has become reputable on Pine Island, Perez also specializes in handyman work, such as plumbing, carpentry and painting.
As he looks back on his young life, he said he can hardly believe all that he’s been able to accomplish so far. He’s had to work diligently every day to achieve the things he’s set his mind on so far.
“Every accomplishment feels great when you earn it by yourself, rather than letting people just hand it to you,” Perez said.
His future will be tackled one day at a time, he said, as he could see himself deciding he wants an office in a brick and mortar building on the island. He also said he does try to visit his parents twice a year, as he misses his family terribly.
“I’m happy just waking up and making the best of it, until the next day. I think that’s the most important thing,” Perez said.