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Michele Perez ‘93 becomes Assistant Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

“I celebrate those Carrollton students who continue to make their voices heard and who compel others to join us in this noble mission in striving for social justice,” wrote Michele Perez ‘93.

During Carrollton’s virtual service day, a number of leaders in the service of others joined the community in ZOOM meetings to talk about justice, inclusion, and diversity. Carrollton alumna Michele Perez ‘93, specifically addressed one of the topics of the day, “fairness.”

While a student at Carrollton, Ms. Perez participated in a community service project where students visited a domestic violence shelter for women and children. She gave tours for people who recently joined the facility along with recording clients’ injuries. Ms. Perez wrote, “I learned so much so quickly about how we each can serve– even when we think (as I did) ‘what can I do to help?’  I was so moved at the prospect to give back to Carrollton through the Goal III discussion and at the same time, reminded of our own conversations on human dignity as upper schoolers when I attended Carrollton.”

Ms. Perez went on to work in public service and in 2019, was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Tahirih Justice Center – a nonprofit organization which assists women and children who survived gender based violence and oppression and seek refuge in the United States.

Now as she assumed her role on February 16th as Assistant Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Ms. Perez hopes to “drive, influence and correct the harm that was caused and to advance the promise of a just, more equitable, more inclusive and more compassionate nation.”

Ms. Perez teaches young women what it means to serve and respect others. “I’ve learned that you can’t believe in the dignity of a person without respecting, honoring and actually ‘seeing’ them… but most importantly, I’ve learned that each of us has a responsibility and an obligation to do something to support, uplift and help to realize this innate dignity in all people.”