Anel Perez
Amazon Web Services
Washington, DC USA
"It’s very clear when you have a passion for something because it’ll manifest itself in your life. Hone in on that."
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Anel's work combines: Technology, Engineering, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Being a teenage father, it definitely felt like some people around me didn't think I would make it far. I relied on my own self-confidence to block out the noise because I realized that if you don't believe in yourself, you can't expect others to. Regardless of the choices you may have made, remind yourself that you're capable of achieving your goals as long as you're determined to get there.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Certification
Information Technology
Year Up
Bachelor's Degree
Information Technology
Northeastern University
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I grew up in Providence, Rhode Island—my parents are both immigrants and come from large families, so I was always surrounded by family from all different backgrounds.
2.
When I graduated from high school, I had a newborn baby and was working in retail, but I was struggling to make ends meet.
3.
A friend of mine graduated from Year Up and found a full-time job, so I decided to give it a try because I could see myself working in a similar field.
4.
I applied to many jobs but didn't land one until I finally found a contract position—it ended up opening a lot of doors by giving me experience, teaching me skills, and making me more marketable.
5.
I kept doing contract work until landing a full-time position with a commercial real estate company—because it was a small company, I got a lot of good experience in multiple aspects of the company.
6.
I eventually decided to go back to school and received my bachelor’s degree in information technology from Northeastern University.
7.
After graduating, I felt that I had reached my full potential in my current position, so I decided to look for a new job—I ended up moving to New York and joining a larger corporate company.
8.
I now work as a solutions architect for Amazon Web Services and feel very happy and secure with where I’m at.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
You're not going to make it far.
How I responded:
Being a teenage father, it definitely felt like some people around me didn't think I would make it far. I relied on my own self-confidence to block out the noise because I realized that if you don't believe in yourself, you can't expect others to. Regardless of the choices you may have made, remind yourself that you're capable of achieving your goals as long as you're determined to get there.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Both of my parents are immigrants and didn't speak English well. A lot of my childhood was spent helping my family navigate life in the U.S. It was tedious at times but I realize now that all the work is to benefit my family and create a better life.
I graduated from high school shortly before the 2008 recession. I had a newborn baby and was struggling to make ends meet. I felt like I had very few options until Year Up opened up doors for me.