Zio Perez

About Zio

• Growing up, she went to schools that were among the worst in the nation.
• Was raised by a single mother who immigrated from Guatemala and didn't speak much English.
• Spent her teenage years doing things she shouldn't have been doing, and getting away with them because her mother worked full-time.
• Finally decided to start getting involved; joined as many clubs as she could, one of which was the Future Teachers Club.
• One of the club advisors saw something in her, introduced her to the Golden Apple Foundation; she became one of their Scholars, started on her path to teaching.
• Acknowledges that she was one of the lucky few that turned their lives around, and she chalks that up to her teachers.
• Says that although she has a master's degrees and multiple awards, as a preschool teacher, she still has issues being taken seriously.
• Co-founder of SwaziKids International, which provides school supplies to students in Swaziland.