As a teenager David Perez came to the United States from Mexico for a second time to live with an aunt’s family of five in a two-bedroom apartment. “I often slept on the floor or the sofa, but it didn’t bother me because I was excited to be back in the U.S,” he recalls.

He also got a job working in the kitchen of a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Ontario.

Humble beginnings for sure, about as humble as can be.

After high school, he enrolled at Chaffey Community College. But he didn’t finish because life — helping his parents financially, getting married to Angelica, and starting a family — took precedent.

“I chose to pause my education to focus on raising my two boys,” he says.

Today the Menifee resident is senior manager of global operation systems for Taco Bell International.

Clearly he is a man of great determination and accomplishment.

So it’s no surprise that Perez, 52, finally earned his degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University last month.

When he sets out to do something, he does it.

“This example sets a powerful example for my children,” he said. “By going back to school, I’m teaching them the value of perseverance and the importance of investing in yourself.”

Like father, like sons. His oldest, David, 27, earned a business degree in 2019 from UC Riverside.

His other son Angel, 24, also of Menifee, started at Cal State San Marcos. But he decided to switch to an online program and his father said he was happy with Southern New Hampshire and suggested he transfer. Angel did and finished his degree in human development the same time his father did. He’s hoping to help others with his new skills.

Together, father and son travelled more than 3,000 miles to New Hampshire to walk across the stage and receive their degrees together. Their feat was announced to the crowd and they got a well-deserved shoutout.

Angel said his dad’s inspiring story taught him that if a person believes in themselves, they can do anything.

“His story has also taught me to work hard to make something of yourself as the world won’t just give you success,” he said.

Graduating together was certainly interesting, he said, and his father has been “my biggest role model forever.”

David said sharing the moment with his son Angel “felt both exciting and humbling. It’s a moment we’ll cherish forever and I’m incredibly proud of us both.”

As unusual as graduating from college together with his son is, it’s just the latest in a lifetime of unlikely moments for David. He was born in a small town in Mexico and came to the United States the first time when he was 2 years old. He returned to Mexico at age 8 and finished elementary school and middle school there.

His parents, Abel and Zenaida, also believed in education and upon his return to the U.S. with his mom, he started at Ontario High School. “Adjusting wasn’t easy as I had forgotten most of my English and struggled to communicate with others, even childhood friends,” he said. His English as a second language classes were critical, he said.

He got his part-time job in high school in part because both of his parents worked for minimum wages.

“My early experiences in restaurants like KFC, combined with the various roles I’ve had at Taco Bell headquarters, have shaped who I am today,” he said. “As a Latino, I’ve had to work harder to prove myself and earn opportunities.”

Working hard is who he is.

Reach Carl Love at carllove4@yahoo.com.