Yanez: Overcomer of gender stereotypes
Launch the media gallery 1 playerSenior Perla Yanez overcomes traditional gender roles. By being the first female to join the wrestling team at Saint Francis to her future career plans to take over the family farm, Yanez knows what she wants to do and is motivated to accomplish it.
Perla said, “I wrestled a lot in middle school and my cousins (Justin and Jesse Pacheco) really inspired me to join the team.”
Last year her participation in wrestling encouraged another female to join the team.
After high school, Perla plans to attend college in Fort Hays for the first two years of her college career. After her first two years in Hays, Perla would like to attend college in Texas, preferably, Fort Scott for Business Management. After college, Perla would like to go back home, use the tools she learned in college and takeover/manage her grandparents’ farm. Perla holds working on the farm very close to her heart because it’s something the family does together.
Perla lives with her two younger brothers Javier and Manuel (who everyone calls Kike). In her spare time, Perla enjoys rodeoing and hanging with her two best friends Seth Hilt and Alondra Gomez. Rodeoing is a bond that Perla and her dad share.
Gomez said Perla is sweet and kind. “She’s loyal and trustworthy,” Gomez said. “Not only is she a great cousin, but she’s an amazing best friend who’s always there when needed.”
Hilt said Perla is a good friend and fun to be around.
Sophomore McKenna Poling agreed with Hilt.
“She doesn’t say a lot but when she does it’s funny and cracks everybody up,” Poling said.
Perla described herself as an introvert “not good with people and a little shy.”
Some advice Perla had for younger students included “DO NOT PROCRASTINATE it sucks to be behind and it’s even worse trying to catch up,” she said.
