The Power of Access
In his own words, first-generation student Alexander Vicuña Perez talks about his journey from a Shell gas station to the UW, and how he’s making the most of his Husky experience.
The following was originally delivered as a speech by Alexander Vicuña Perez, ’27, during President Robert J. Jones’ Inaugural Address on Oct. 15, 2025. Watch a recording of the full event here.
For me, it all started at a Shell gas station. I don’t mean today started there — though like most of us, I find myself at gas stations regularly to fill up or grab a snack. No, I mean it all started there — the beginning of my journey to the UW, the origin of my character and the root of my ambition — in a Shell station not far from my home in Tukwila, Washington.
It was that station where my mom worked, and where I’d join her at 5 a.m. in the back kitchen, eating a Danish and watching as she took great care in hand-making 80 burritos to feed the 7 a.m. rush. She often had aches and pains but always came home with a smile. My siblings and I couldn’t always get the materialistic things we desired, but what I gained from joining my mom in the kitchen was far more valuable: The special gifts of motivation, resilience and a strong work ethic.
Perez as a child, around the age he started accompanying his mother to her work at Shell.
I come from a single-parent household and am proudly the first in my family to graduate from high school and go on to pursue higher education. My mother completed only the third grade, and because of this, I’ve seen firsthand the barriers that arise from not having an education. Without a diploma and with the weight of society’s stigma, my resourceful mama was relegated to low-wage, labor-intensive jobs — usually working two at a time just to make ends meet. As a little kid, I couldn’t help much, but with my mom’s limited English, I often became the one translating mail, important documents and even at parent-teacher conferences.
Her hard work lit a fire in me at a young age, but in my senior year of high school, reality set in. As I’m sure some of you can relate to, I had no idea what I was going to do after graduation. I knew my family didn’t have the financial means to send me to university, and I couldn’t bear the idea of drowning them — or myself — with a lifetime of student loan debt. When I applied to the UW on a whim, I didn’t feel nervous or excited, I felt indifferent.
But then I got my acceptance from the UW, and everything shifted. Not only was I admitted directly to the Foster School of Business, but I was awarded the Costco and Fred O. Paulsell scholarships. For the first time in my life, someone besides my mom saw potential in me — even if I didn’t yet see it within myself. And here I am!
The UW is giving me an opportunity to better my life, be an inspiration to my younger siblings, and pave the way to be the first in my family to pursue a corporate career after graduation. And these scholarships have allowed me the freedom to create the fullest Husky Experience possible.
Perez with his mother and two younger siblings when he was admitted to the Foster School.
Perez, center, as current president of his fraternity, Omega Delta Phi.
At Foster, I’m studying finance, entrepreneurship and supply chain. I’m building important connections outside of school through groups like the Multicultural Greek Council, and specifically my brotherhood, Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc., which has connected me with my cultural identity as well as a community of successful people who look like me and who know what it’s like to be a first-generation student — a community I hadn’t really been a part of before. I’m also serving as a mentor for high schoolers from historically underrepresented communities like mine through the Foster School of Business Young Executives in Our Community program.
And I want to take these leadership opportunities internationally. Before my first year at the UW, I had never left the U.S. Today, my passport shows just how much studying abroad has expanded my horizons. I’ve studied in Spain, Brazil and Jamaica so far in my undergraduate journey, immersing myself in so many cultures and learning about global systems. Each experience has expanded my worldview and brought me closer to my goal of leading with impact.
For the first time in my life, someone besides my mom saw potential in me — even if I didn’t yet see it within myself.
Perez with UW President Robert J. Jones during the inaugural event.
By believing in students like me, the University of Washington is not just giving us an education but shaping the trajectory of our lives and the impact we have on the world around us. This is especially true for scholarship recipients, who may not otherwise have had that opportunity.
To my Latino community: Nuestros sueños no terminan aquí. Somos la esperanza de nuestros padres y el ejemplo para nuestros hijos. Cada paso que damos abre el camino para la próxima generación. Nunca olvidemos que llevamos con nosotros la fuerza de nuestros ancestros.
And to every Husky, we are a testament to the rippling benefits of a UW education: Having the chance to pursue what we love motivates us to give back to our communities, represent our ancestors and empower the next generation of scholars to dream big.
Every one of us carries a story that’s brought us here, and every one of us has the opportunity to shape the future. My story may have started in a gas station. But thanks to the University of Washington, it won’t end there.
Photos by University Photography and courtesy of Alexander Vicuña Perez
