Ana Perez
Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration
College/School: College of Business
Ana Perez has always been driven. She asks questions, seeks opportunities, and imagines a future without limits. She credits her mother, who always told her: “Others may say ‘no’ to you, but don’t ever say ‘no’ to yourself.”
Ana traces her determination to 7th grade, when she faced and overcame a life-threatening medical condition. Since then she’s pursued excellence. Interested in digital advertising, she met FIU alumnus Mauricio Angarita – founder of digital communications firm, The Thumb Fighter – through the College of Business mentorship program. He became her mentor. After an informal internship, he tapped Ana to collaborate on work for eMerge Americas, the annual tech event held on Miami Beach.
Meanwhile, she landed an internship in NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises’ marketing department. When that ended, she applied for one in the network’s internal communications office. Asked if she knew Photoshop, she replied, no, but vowed that, if chosen, she would master it by her start date. She did.
She credits Honors College experiences with revealing new avenues. That was especially true in a class where students role-played members of various factions from the French Revolution. Putting herself in the shoes of someone whose ideas and opinions differed from her own was eye-opening. Ana also says Melissa Silveira, manager of Academic Advising Services in the College of Business, helped guide her from the start.
After graduation, Ana hopes to stay with NBC, join their West Coast team and work with scripted dramas.
By Karen-Janine Cohen
Writer
College of Business