From First Star to future doctor: Meet ASU alumni Sam Perez

Foster care youth often face extra challenges to gaining access to higher education — with some studies finding that just 3-4% of former foster kids go on to earn four-year degrees — something recent Arizona State University alumni Sam Perez understands firsthand.

“When I was in high school, I was placed in the foster care system. So, having that prior experience, I always wanted to pay it forward once I reached college,” Perez said. “I jumped at the opportunity to get involved with First Star.”

First Star at ASU is a free, comprehensive four-year college readiness program that provides high school-age foster youth with the academic support, enrichment and resources needed to enroll and succeed in college.

“It can be very easy, especially in college and even at high school level, to feel yourself be lost in the crowd and lose that individual aspect of yourself,” Perez said. “And I think having that community — to be part of First Star — where not only you can see people that have similar backgrounds, but also be able to share it and process the things you've been through and also succeed together is so important. Without these programs, I would say, these people, they might feel like they're alone.”

Perez found his work in First Star to be enriching, acting as a support system for high school-aged foster students.

“I did a couple of summer camps with them,” Perez said. “I also worked with First Star during the school year, got to work with a bunch of different kids with different backgrounds but we all had that shared experience of foster care, and it was a very enriching experience.”

“I learned a lot, not just about the students themselves, but also how to work in a team environment, how to handle stressful situations and the typical camp counselor stuff,” Perez added. “I really enjoyed it.”

He enjoyed it so much that he encouraged his younger brother to join First Star, so that he could benefit from the support that the program provides to high school students.

In addition to his work in First Star, Perez was also involved in ASU’s TRIO — a set of federally-funded college opportunity programs designed to motivate and support first generation, low-income, students with disabilities and veterans in pursuit of a college degree.

“Marlene Ortega was one of my mentors when I was at First Star and then she went on to work in TRIO,” Perez said about the TRIO program director. “Marlene works specifically in TRIO Upward Bound, which is similar to First Star in the way that they provide resources to first-generation students.”

Some of the resources provided through TRIO include study rooms, tutoring prep for final exams and career development opportunities.

“Once TRIO students are in college, the program provides resources to help you succeed and eventually graduate — essentially all of the things that you need to get through what we call college,” Perez said. “They do outside activities, too. One time TRIO went to see Hamilton. So, they provide a lot of different fun activities, not just studying.”

Perez graduated with his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in May 2023, and he looks back at his time at ASU fondly as he looks toward his post-graduation goal of becoming a doctor. A goal that became evident to him at just 10-years-old, after his younger brother had to be rushed to the emergency room.

“He accidentally cut the roof of his mouth with the chopstick, so it was a little gory,” Perez remembered. “We had to take him to the ER, of course. And when we were there, I watched the doctor do his thing. When that happened, it kind of was an ‘aha’ moment for me at that time — I was like, this doctor is pretty cool. And I want to be just like him.”

“So from there on, I wanted to be a doctor, and that inspired my journey throughout high school. And even when I was placed into the foster care system, placed in a group home, I still stayed true to that dream,” he added.

When he turned 18, Perez began working in the emergency department as a scribe, and he’s never left — working there for five years in total. He works nights in the ER at both Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center.

For current students still working toward their graduation goals, Perez recommended to nail down your path and find the right mentor.

“I would say do something that you are going to be consistent with — especially when you start out, you have big dreams,” Perez said. “I want to do this, I want to do that. And that's amazing as long as you have a realistic plan of how you're going to achieve it. When I first started at ASU, I knew I wanted to be a doctor, but I didn't know the specifics. So, what I did was I met with different people, peers as well as mentors in the ER, that told me exactly what the plan was. But without that, without really having direction, I don't think I would have succeeded.”

Perez was recently accepted into U of A’s medical school for the summer 2025 semester, but he wanted to make one thing abundantly clear:

“Forks Up. No pity for the kitty,” Perez said. “Don't tell U of A I said that.”