LFHS Top 10 Student Spotlight: Alyssa M. Peralez

Parents: Carol Ann and Daniel Peralez

Siblings: Chelsea Ann Peralez (21) and Allan Daniel Peralez (13)

Previously: Laureles Elementary (Pre-K to 4), Dora Romero Elementary (5), Liberty Memorial Middle School

College: The University of Houston
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders (Minor in American Sign Language Interpreting)

Inspiration for academic success: The two people who have inspired me to do my best in academics are my mom and dad. My parents instilled the importance of earning an education in me and my siblings at a young age. They would always say, “your education is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you.” Neither one of them had the opportunity to further their education past high school, so it is important that I get the chance to do so. I became inspired to do my best in academics in elementary school when I realized how proud I made them with my good grades. Since then, I have strived to do just that and excel in the classroom. As I have reached milestones in my life, my favorite part definitely has to be seeing the heartwarming look on their faces.

Study habits: My study habits are typically planned out as I must to find time in my busy schedule to study. I usually study for at least an hour each day after school and anywhere from two to three hours on weekends depending on upcoming tests. Because I am involved in many school clubs and organizations, it can be quite difficult to juggle these activities and still find time to study. School is my top priority and studying plays a big role in academic success, so when I find myself failing to make time to study, I have no choice but to skip lunch for the library, turn down social events with friends, and even miss softball pasta nights. Planning study time is not always perfect, as I have fallen victim to staying up late at night, getting up early in the morning, doing work at school, and even procrastinating multiple times.

Plans after undergraduate degree: I plan to attend The University of Houston with a spot in the Honor’s College. My goal is to earn a master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and become a speech-language pathologist to assist not only the deaf community, but also their families as well. In college, I also plan to earn a minor in American Sign Language interpreting.

Career plans: I hope to become a speech-language pathologist and earn my American Sign Language interpreting certification. I set this goal as a young girl as my aunt and uncle are partially deaf. As I grew up, my aunt introduced me to American Sign Language, which I completely fell in love with. My long-term goal is to open my own speech pathology center in the Rio Grande Valley to accommodate families that struggle with leaving the Valley for doctor appointments. By accomplishing my goals, I hope to bring awareness to the deaf and hard of hearing community in my hometown of Los Fresnos.

Advice to younger students to succeed academically: Alhough I had A’s all throughout elementary school, I really began focusing strongly on academics in the sixth grade. At the age of 11, I knew middle school was going to be a big transition. Six different teachers and classes was pretty intimidating, so I did what any normal sixth grader would do and blended in by not standing out. I began challenging myself, which obviously payed off in the end. If I had to give sixth graders advice so they can achieve similar academic success, it would be to take your grades seriously in middle school, especially when taking classes which will count as high school credit. You may not see it now, but middle school prepares you for high school as the classes mirror each other.