Amber Perry

Student

“Another reason that I’m at SMC is that their transfer rate is amazing. I actually went to UCLA and a woman there said ‘Don’t waste your time and money. Go to SMC, and you’ll end up here anyway.’”

Alpha Gamma Sigma and the Women’s College at SMC; Johnny Cash to Mozart on the violin; a past involving the Grand Ol’ Opry and a future as a veterinarian—how do you reconcile all that in one life? For Amber Perry, the narrative through-line is actually quite simple. “I grew up on a ranch with horses, chickens, cows, and dogs, and I feel that treating them was always my destiny," says the former Floridian.”

As to my violin? Well, I grew up in a very musical family, where my mom was very successful in the Grand Ol’ Opry: the whole kit ‘n’ caboodle. I enjoy science, and I enjoy music: plannin’ on playin’ my violin on the Third Street Promenade,” she says with a laugh. “Those people down there are making some serious money.” But through her involvement and study at SMC, Amber has been able to actualize far more than ‘cash on the barrelhead.’

“Being part of the Women’s College has given me a unique focus: For instance, we just saw a film on how to deal with catcalls from construction workers. It’s nice to know that there are other women who are interested in these issues, and that there’s a place you can go to bond with them. But beyond that, belonging to AGS has opened a lot of new horizons to me. I tried to get scholarships when I first came here,” says Amber. “But since being involved in my club, I’ve got maybe 40 percent more scholarships available to me. The message here,” she continues, “is that through involvement, you’re going to get some advantages that you never dreamed were possible.”

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