​​​As an Air Force linguist, Tyler Perez lost close friends while serving in Afghanistan. During his college career, he has struggled with both hunger and homelessness.

​​​After hitting spiritual rock bottom, Tyler returned to his home in the Imperial Valley, where he turned his academic life around. He went from being a D student to an A student and graduated with honors from Imperial Valley College with an associate degree in pre-engineering, university science and mathematics.

​​​Today, Tyler is a senior at San Diego State University majoring in electrical engineering. He is active in Troops to Engineers, the SDSU student chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers, the SDSU Answer Program, the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement program and the Safe Water Research Lab.

Tyler looks forward to becoming an electrical engineer so that he can blend his passion for working outside with using his hands.​​​​