Juan Perez-Centeno Email & Phone Number

When I was 17, I was the first in my family to get accepted into higher education. Throughout this journey, I learned many valuable lessons, good and bad. When I was 19 I realized that I enjoyed serving my community through being an after-school instructor. While at this job, I learned many important skills by working closely with other educators, parents, and professionals; allowing me to hone in on my teaching styles. By working in lower-income areas, I also was able to improve my skills of problem-solving skills and resourcefulness continually having to work around budget cuts, limited resources, and student special circumstances. My fluency in both English and Spanish has allowed me to break that language barrier that can often hinder communication. What keeps me going is seeing that I made a positive impact in someone's life by helping them and seeing former students' faces light up when they see me. I am always looking to move forward and learn important skills to be able to help others in my community. As my family always said, "Si no escalas las montañas jamás podrás disfrutar el paisaje." Which translates to, "If you don't climb mountains, you'll never get to enjoy the view." Whether it's an internship, job, or a connection I'm always ready to take on that "mountain."When I am not working, my hobbies include hiking and visiting parks with my Border Collie/ Pyrenees dog Benito, weight-training, spending quality time with my family, and traveling to Oaxaca. I also play soccer, softball, and other sports with my friends, watch good-quality anime, and always try/experience new things.

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  San Jose State University

  Senior