Jose Perez

BA in Latin American Studies and Spanish | 2012

Photo: Jose Perez

Job : Program Assistant, United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Location : Washington, DC

Jose Antonio "Tony" Perez graduated from UNM in 2012, having completed a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Studies and Spanish. After attending St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe, Tony chose to attend UNM given the tuition support he received through the NM Legislative Lottery Scholarship. According to Tony, "Through my studies at the Latin American and Iberian Institute, I gained invaluable knowledge about the Old World and New World relationships and historical implications that affect our present day. Without a doubt my international background and federal association through the FLAS Fellowship contributed to my selection as an intern with the United States Agency for International Development upon graduating in December 2012. My extensive knowledge of Latin America has been beneficial because of the historical context and its applicability." Tony is also an alumnus of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). In August 2014, he completed his Master of Arts in International (Sustainable) Development at SIT Graduate Institute in Washington D.C., and now serves as a Program Assistant in the E3 Bureau at the USAID Water Office. For his contributions to the 2015 United Nations General Assembly, he was recognized on two separate ocassions with USAID's Superior Honor Award. In addition, Huffington Post recently recognized him as one of its "40 under 40: Latinos in Foreign Policy...40 Latinos to watch for in the realm of foreign policy and international affairs who are on their way towards opening doors for the next generation."