About me 

About Me 🌟

Hi there! My name is Nayely Perez. I was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, and moved to the United States when I was 11 years old. Being the new girl at school—and not speaking a single word of English—was one of the toughest things I've ever faced. I couldn't understand my teachers, and I felt completely lost. But somehow, just two months after starting school, I made the honor roll… without knowing English! 😅 The universe said, "Girl, you got this."

High school was a wild ride. Freshman year? Let's just say I was not focused. My grades were looking like a horror movie—straight F's. I felt lost and unmotivated. But sophomore year, I made a choice: it was time to get it together. My grades started going up, and I began caring more about my future.

Then junior year hit—and so did the pandemic. I still remember the principal announcing that school would close for two weeks. I was like, "YESSS, vacation!" 😎 …But those two weeks turned into two years. Suddenly, I was in my senior year, learning online with three open periods and being part of Link Crew. I stayed focused and ended up receiving High Honors from the school principal herself. 🎉

But while I was working hard in class, one thing was missing—guidance. My high school counselor never once talked to me about college. The only person who brought it up was my friend. I was so frustrated because I wanted to continue my education, but I didn't know how. I told my mom how I felt, and she said, "Why don't you try community college?" And that's exactly what I did.

At first, I took general classes at Hartnell College while I figured things out. But eventually, I discovered my passion—I want to be a Spanish and Math teacher. 📚✏️ After long nights of studying, crying over homework, and drinking way too much cafecito, I'm now just 10 days away from my college graduation. And not only that… I survived my first semester at the university!

Now, I'm proudly finishing my journey at CSUMB (California State University, Monterey Bay), where I'm majoring in Spanish and minoring in Chicanx Studies. 🎓✨ From struggling with English to becoming a soon-to-be bilingual teacher and Chicana scholar, this journey hasn't been easy—but it's been worth it.

And guess what? I'm just getting started. 💪