LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Mary Perez was nominated anonymously.

"It's not every day that someone gets to peek behind the curtain and see what a principal does or feels. Fortunately for me, I get to see this every day. Many people think principals have an easy job, but it couldn't be farther from the truth, especially being a senior principal. Being a principal isn't for the faint of heart. It's not your typical 9-5 job with an hour lunch break. No, she is there before the students and doesn't leave until everyone is gone. She rarely gets to sit down and enjoy a meal," said the nominator.

"Even at the end of the school day, it doesn't end for her. Suppose she isn't covering a sporting event or activity. In that case, when she gets home, she continues to answer emails and messages from students and parents (even at midnight if they come) while planning all the activities that seniors enjoy. Her week doesn't end on a Friday; it ends on Saturday afternoon and sometimes even Sunday evening. Why, you ask? Because she is working so hard to ensure that all her students have a fighting chance at graduating and walking that stage at the end of May," said the nominator. 

"She understands that she has young adults' future in her hands, 430 of them to be exact. So when they don't show up, struggle with passing a class, or all forces seem to be against them and doing their best to keep them from graduating, do you know what she's doing? She's using every spare minute to find answers for them. She wakes up early so that she can call those students who struggle to get to class on time and make sure they are up and will be coming to school. She shows up after school hours and on Saturdays to help tutor and guide the kids who need it. She's meeting with teachers to see how she can help her students. She's out getting donations so that her seniors can have one last hoorah and her staff can have an appreciation day because she couldn't do what she does without them and their support," said the nominator.

"These are just some of the things that helped her win Teacher of the Year at Palo Duro before becoming a principal. Mrs. Perez is a woman who bleeds whatever her school colors are. Someone who will make every effort to show up and support any student or staff member. Someone who, instead of enjoying a Friday evening and recovering from a long week, will be volunteering at a school choir event that is short on help. She is the principal who always has her door open to anyone and is willing to sit and talk with you even though she has a million other things to get done and never has enough time. You see, she's not just changing lives here and there. She's changing lives all the time, everywhere, every day. She's leading these kids by example. She's showing some of these kids things they've never had, such as support, encouragement, love, caring, and kindness, and the list goes on. If anyone deserves to be known as a LifeChanger, it's this amazing woman," said the nominator.