Through courage and resilience in overcoming multiple hardships in her life, Raquel Perez ’20, M’23, exemplifies what it means to be a true Warrior.
As a young girl living in New York, Perez could barely communicate with anyone due to a severe speech impediment. Today, she stands as a two-time Merrimack graduate with a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in management.
“Since I was born, I have dealt with not only my disabilities but also bullying from kids and adults at school and in the community,” she said. “I would hear things such as, ‘You won’t be enough,’ ‘You can’t do this or that,’ ‘How are you going to get a good job if you barely can speak,’ and ‘You won’t be able to attend college.’”
None of these things deterred Perez from her dreams. In fact, she said, it only motivated her more. She underwent six years of intensive therapy to improve her speech after moving to Lawrence, Mass. at the age of 18. Once she finally felt ready, she sent an application to her dream school, Merrimack College.
“I drove by the beautiful campus daily as I went about my life,” she recalled. “I would often stop and ponder what it would take for me, a low-income Latina who is a single mom born with a lifelong speech impediment, to enroll…but I wanted to go to this school so badly it would hurt.“
When she was accepted, Perez said she was overjoyed.
“In my heart, I was so happy,” she said. “I knew coming here would be a big challenge. Not only would I have to deal with myself, wondering if I’m good enough, I’ll also have to deal with everyone (who doubts me).”
As she began her first semester in 2018, Perez was blindsided by an unimaginable tragedy. The 2018 Merrimack Valley gas explosions left her and her two young children without running water or electricity for months. As she tried to keep her household together, her grades began to slip.
“My mind wasn’t there,” Perez recalled. “We were in the fall going into the winter – the weather would be getting worse and worse. I was wondering what we were going to do.”
With nowhere else to turn, Perez went to the McQuade Library staff.
“I told one of the ladies there my situation and how I may have to drop out,” she said. “The staff member said, ‘No, you’re not going to quit school. We’re going to take care of you and your kids, and we need you to focus on your schoolwork.”
Perez was given a small office on campus to do her studies in peace. Meanwhile, various Merrimack faculty members helped her find groceries and child care.
“I got A’s and B’s at the end of the semester,” she said. “(The faculty members who assisted me) cheered me – ‘You did it! You did it!’ They took me out to dinner that night. This wonderful group of people have been supporting me from the beginning all the way to the end.”
Perez received her diploma and entered the workforce in human services shortly after. Still, she found her new job wasn’t a good fit. After some time, the lure to return to Merrimack for a master’s degree became too much. She decided to challenge herself by stepping away from psychology and pursuing a business.
“Merrimack is my second home,” she said. “I made my dreams come true and nobody can take that away from me.”
