Scholarships impact the lives of students beyond the classroom. Your generosity has forever impacted students like Angelo Perez, a recipient of the Illinois Commitment Scholarship.

As gentle, hazy afternoon light filters through the window behind him, sophomore Angelo Perez sits at his family’s dining room table beaming excitedly, his orange collar perfectly pressed. He wants to share his story and hopefully inspire other students who had the odds stacked against them, especially minority students in low-income families.

Perez is a first-generation college student studying at the Gies College of Business. When he was a kid growing up in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, the idea of college was far off. He’s come a long way since then—he’s now a role model in his family and an international traveler.

As a child, Perez knew that attending college would be difficult. His mother started her higher education journey at a local community college, though she was unable to finish. Along with the apprehension about the cost of college in his community and family, achieving a degree at times seemed unattainable to the young Perez. He always had an entrepreneurial spirit, though.

Not many can boast about being full-fledged entrepreneurs in high school – Perez, though, zeroed in on his gift early on. Remembering the times with his father, he’d sell shoes at pop-ups and venues as a vendor. As a high schooler, he understood how to price rare shoes and excelled in customer negotiation. When his seventeenth birthday came around, his mother invested in his business, allowing him to reach more customers and continue to grow his skillset. As the President of the National Honor Society chapter at his high school, Perez truly excelled on multiple fronts. All of his hard work was noticed – He received acceptance letters from over fifteen universities, including from Illinois Wesleyan University but also from the University of Illinois. Both schools wanted him and were at the forefront of his college decision. He couldn’t believe it.

In 2023 Perez sat in the same dining room where he appeared for our interview. He checked his email, eager but nervous to open the email that just appeared in his inbox from the University of Illinois. He was ready. He clicked the link and the words “Congratulations” appeared – “You’ve been accepted to the University of Illinois.” He physically jumped up from his wooden dining chair, and the room exploded with an excited cacophony of cheers. He ran to tell his mom – his mom whose dreams of college for herself were now dreams for her firstborn son. As he showed his mom the email, she also jumped for joy, embraced her son, and shed a happy tear. The young Perez knew if the University of Illinois Gies College of Business wanted him, he would not squander the opportunity.

While his mother was his inspiration to go to college – his paternal grandmother also encouraged Perez to attend college. From a young age, she’d affirm to him, “Angelo, you’re going to go to college, and you’re going to get a full-ride scholarship.” Perez was accepted into the University of Illinois as an Illinois Commitment Scholar. Once committed to attending Illinois, Perez’s grandmother touted his achievement whenever she could, even in the line at ALDI. Her grandson made her so proud.

As his academic and entrepreneurial careers were rising, his family experienced an unimaginable loss. Perez lost his maternal grandmother to COVID-19, another stalwart support in his life. Compounding the challenges he faced growing up, Perez knew each decision he made would define his course in life. While a loss such as his could understandably derail some students, Perez grew more determined to continue his success at the university level and do all he could to continue making both his grandmothers proud.

Moving to Urbana-Champaign was hard, though Perez knew it was for the better. He made new friends, he had new experiences, and he started to learn the technical knowledge behind all the practical skills he’d built through high school.

Perez remembers sitting in his business courses during his first semester thinking about his sneaker business. He was learning about supply chains, finance, and accounting. He had real-world experience, though he was now understanding how to take his knowledge to the next level.

While he knew Illinois would take him to new places, Brazil wasn’t one that first came to mind. Thus far, his trip with his Gies Business 116 cohort has been a highlight. The Intercultural Learning class pairs Gies Scholars students at Illinois with students around the world to solve business problems and then participate in a short-term study abroad. Perez learned business acumen from business leaders in Brazil and his Brazilian student counterparts. It was a trip Perez could have only dreamed of before Illinois.

As Perez continues into his sophomore year, he sees himself one day as a financial advisor counseling others and, of course, he wants to continue to be an entrepreneur. He carries his mother’s dream, his maternal grandmother’s memory, and his paternal grandmother’s affirmations with him each day – to class, to Brazil, each moment he strives to honor these amazing women in his life. He couldn’t be prouder of his younger sister who is college bound. More than anything Perez hopes to continue to inspire those around him to achieve beyond what their circumstances dictate.