Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Perez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sarah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I am the second of four siblings. My father was a medical doctor and an evangelical pastor, and my mother was a principal for a private school in the Dominican Republic. From an early age, my parents always emphasized the importance of education and being involved in the community. My mother always kept me busy and ensured I participated in extra circular activates, courses about learning new skills, or community service throughout the city. My father always said that it was best to be in the position to give than to be in the position waiting to receive.
I moved to Massachusetts, USA when I finished high school in the Dominican Republic at age 18; moving in with my oldest sister. Shortly after, I had my oldest son Danny at age 20. In order to go back to school, I had to complete a GED in English. This helps me learn how to write and read English enough to follow my passion for beauty I had since I was a teenager. I attended cosmetology school at Lowell hairstyling Academy, graduating in 1992. My new hairdresser career brought me to Lawrence, MA, where I worked at a beauty salon for two years. After having my second son Michael and becoming a single mother, I realized that I needed a more stable income, that can sustain me and my two boys. This brought me to a job at a nursing home as a KitchenAid and later take a new position as a housekeeper. As a housekeeper, I got exposed to a great job of what nurses and nursing assistant do for the patients. Because this job gave me the income I needed and a flexible work schedule to return to school; I launched my meaningful career in nursing by becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant while working at the nursing home. I did this while simultaneously going to Northern Essex Community College to get my License Practical Nurse degree in 1998.
At this point, I had my two sons and brought over my husband that I am still currently married to, Henry, from the Dominican Republic. In 2001, I had my twin daughters in Lawrence, MA and shortly after moved to Florida, continuing my career in nursing. In Florida, I felt limited as an LPN because I could only work at nursing homes and certain facilities that were not hospitals. I was making less money as an LPN in Florida than I was in Massachusetts, which meant I had to work at more than just nursing homes to sustain my family of six. This motivated me to go back to school to get my registered nurse degree. I received my associate degree in nursing at Valencia Community College while working full time as a nurse, a mother to four children, and a wife. Right before the market crash in 2008, I moved back to Lawrence, MA in 2007; got my bachelor’s in nursing online at University of Phoenix; and continued my career as a critical care nurse until 2012 when a work-related injury made me change career paths.
After 16 years of workings as a nurse, I joined New York Life in 2013 and focused on low-income Latino families and small business owners. My main goal is to educate and give my clients the tools they need to protect their families. My life devoted to helping others has always been apparent, either through my work or community service. I am a board member for nonprofits such as Lawrence Community Works, Lawrence YMCA, Top Notch Scholars, Manos en Acción ST, and The International Book Fair. My belief in providing the right resources, motivation, persistence, and educating every Merrimack Valley resident so that they could have the opportunity to succeed and exceed their own expectations. I am constantly looking to educate those interested in taking control of their finances by providing financial planning and preparation in my workshops throughout the city, table setups in community events, and seminars.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The first struggle I had to overcome was my language barrier when moving to America. I had to learn to read, write, speak and understand English fluently to be able to reach the next level in any of my career choices.
My second struggle was at one point in my life when I had to depend on public assistance “welfare” to help support my two sons, so I could go back to school when I was a single mother. I reassured myself that this was a temporary necessity in order to reach the next level of my career and being able to give my kids a decent lifestyle.
Perez Insurance & Financial Services LLC – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In 2016, I opened my own company PEREZ Insurance and Financial Services LLC. As an insurance agent and financial services professional, my mission is to work with my clients and help identify their financial goals and needs. In addition, we offer our clients products and services to live with a peace of mind. We strive to be the preferred source of insurance and financial needs in our community. We are committed to helping protect our customers from the unexpected through flexible solutions to fit in their needs and budget. We set the standard of excellence among our competitors by providing the best personal customer experience possible for our clients. Our core values consist of integrity, innovation, commitment, quick response, customer service, long-term partnerships, and dynamic tailored solutions.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
My perseverance, my ability to love others as much as I love myself, and respect for myself and others.
Contact Info:
- Address: 22 Jackson St, Lawrence, MA 01840
- Website: http://www.perez-financial.com/
- Phone: 978-258-5021
- Email: sarah@perez-financial.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perez.insurance.financial/?ref=br_rs
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbperez
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