I first met Gayle Perez’s daughter Emily about 15 years ago when she was just a toddler. Gayle’s the education reporter at The Chieftain. Like most parents in the newsroom, Gayle would occasionally share Emily’s scholastic and athletic exploits. It became clear to me early on that Emily thrived on having a full plate leaving Gayle both proud and exhausted. She enrolled in Advance Placement classes at Centennial High School and depending on the season, balanced being a member of the Bulldog’s cross-country team, swim team, soccer team, or track team. And I’m pretty sure she lettered in all four sports.

No stranger to the newsroom, Emily would make appearances at The Chieftain during her elementary and middle school years when there might have been a lapse in day care scheduling or a late afternoon orthodontist’s appointment. As a sophomore, she was hired to take evening scores and boxes phoned in from coaches from various schools for the Chieftain Sports Department, her nose always in a book between calls.

Emily was also a YWCA  2015 Annual Tribute to Women Young Leader nominee. Her nomination described her as “a Centennial High School student, is team captain for cross-country, swimming and track. She is an Ambassador, a Spanish Club member and a youth leader in her church. She also led outreach work in the barrios of (Mexico).”

Emily graduated from Centennial High School in May, fifth in her class. She turned down a full-ride scholarship to attend CSU-Pueblo  to field other potential offers, leaving Gayle and her husband Ricky in an unenviable position of opting out of a bird-in-the-hand proposition. Emily’s big gamble paid off. She was offered, and accepted,  a scholarship from Regis University in Denver to run cross-country. All told, she was awarded over $50,000 in scholarship money, allowing her folks to breathe a little easier.

Em’s a great kid. She’s earned whatever accolades come her way. But I don’t think I’d want to sit across from her at the poker table, though.