Honorable Mention Winner
Francisco Perez
University of Tampa
Senior in International Business
3.82 GPA

As president of the University of Tampa’s Student Government, Francisco “Paco” Perez, 21, hasn’t forgotten his commitment to help the students as well as the community.

In 2002, Perez participated in the Dade City Migrant Worker Project. As part of the program, he and other students researched about the conditions in which immigrant workers live. The results showed cruel treatment toward the workers, inadequate pay, low-level housing conditions, and an overall lack of education.

Eager to do something, the students traveled to Dade City to donate goods for the immigrants’ children and encourage other students, professors, and members of the community to take action. Perez’ efforts and those of his fellow students led others to create UT chapters of organizations like Amnesty International.

“It made me realize more and more that I just want to keep giving back to my community for the rest of my life,” Perez says. “It made me realize how lucky I am. It made me not to forget about my hometown.”

In summer 2002, Perez opened a soccer camp in Belen, N.M., his hometown. Unsatisfied by having to charge a fee to the children to maintain the camp, he decided to make it free the following summer by getting funds from different organizations. That summer, more than 250 children between the ages of 5 and 18 participated in the program. Although he spent a semester in Spain in spring 2004, he managed to reopen the camp last summer—again free of charge.

Perez also has worked in other community service projects including UT’s Into the Streets program at the Tampa Boys and Girls Club and Tampa’s Habitat for Humanity. Last December, Perez even donned a red suit and a white beard to pose as Santa Claus for the De Soto Elementary School Christmas Party.

Robert M. Ruday, UT’s dean of students, highlights Perez’ charisma by mentioning how Perez took Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio to one of the SG meetings—unlike other leaders who tried without luck to contact her. “Paco met her while jogging in Tampa and invited her to a Student Government meeting,” Ruday says.

Because of his 3.82 GPA, Perez is a member of UT’s Honors Program and the Academic Center for Excellence. His school achievements also have earned him a spot on the dean’s list numerous times. Not forgetting his commitment to the community, Perez organized more than 500 community service hours in fall 2003 as the community service chair of Kappa Sigma Fraternity’s Nu Omega Chapter.

“Paco is an amazing individual,” Ruday says. “Not only an outstanding leader, but he’s also been an outstanding athlete.” In 2003, Perez was selected to play for the Virgin Islands National Soccer Team and in Canada’s 2004 Olympic and FIFA Qualifying Men Under 23 Soccer Tournament.

Back at UT, in his first semester as SG president, Perez organized a nonpartisan vote-drive for the 2004 presidential election where more than 1,000 students registered to vote. He also introduced internet voting for UT’s SG elections and created a readership program in which students get free copies of The New York Times on UT’s campus.

Perez’ scholarships and no-interest family loans pay most of his out-of-state tuition and other expenses.—MAC

Contact Perez at fperez@ut.edu.