After impressing a panel of university leaders, Joe Perez Jr. joins Bayou’s Best, “one of UHD’s highest student leader and ambassador positions.” The accomplishment comes after Perez competed in October’s Bayou’s Best Showcase, a pageant-style event that features “UHD’s best undergraduate and graduate students within the four academic colleges,” says the Office of the Dean of Students website. Perez shares the title with Jessica McCraw, Shikyna William, and Vanessa Mattox, who were also selected as winners.
“Honestly, it affirms that I am a decent individual,” Perez said of the accomplishment. “To be judged by your peers and to be told that you’re one of the best, even though you may not feel that way all the time … it’s a really good feeling unlike another.”
Bayou’s Best has already presented exciting opportunities for Perez. At the recommendation of Provost Bordelon, the showcase winner spoke at the Gourmet Gators fundraising event in November. “That’s really why I’m grateful that I’ve won Bayou’s best—because it enabled me to do more public speaking, [to] develop that skill a little be more, but also [to] be a voice for students.” Perez later said, “I actually got to thank Marilyn Davies herself [at Gourmet Gators]. Obviously, she’s the namesake of my college, so that was really huge for me.”
Gourmet Gators hasn’t been Perez’s only opportunity to encounter university leadership. The student said, “It was shocking to me how easy it was to immediately come in contact with somebody like the president and have him pick my brain about something.” He later said, “I was actually able to give my thoughts to Dr. Daniel Maxwell—he’s the VP of Student Success—on what I think. All it took was me showing up to Bayou’s Best for a couple hours and putting my best foot forward and answering honestly.”
The student initially attended another four-year university after graduating from
high school in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic and high tuition costs led Perez to
take time away from school. This time helped Perez discover his passion for business
and hone his speaking skills. “I worked for about a year and a half, and I did sales
for a long time.” He later said, “That’s how I figured out what I wanted to do, and
that’s why I chose business overall … because I realized that I was talented at selling.”
Perez ultimately decided to continue his undergraduate education by earning an associate’s degree in business from Lone Star College. He then attended UHD for a BBA in Risk Management and Insurance, which he completed in the Fall 2025 semester.
UHD’s affordability and rich history contributed to Perez’s decision to enroll, but the university’s location was perhaps the most significant influence. “I always wanted to be downtown because my parents lived downtown. I’ve always grown up in the suburbs, so I never really got to experience being downtown all the time.” He later said, “Just being able to explore downtown and rub shoulders with people that you might come across in your professional life—it was really alluring to me.”
As for future Bayou’s Best contestants, Perez advocates for involvement: “I think that [future contestants] should be community-focused…whether that’s being a student worker, or just being part of some organization, or just being visible on campus.” Perez’s recommendation reflects a shift in his own values. The student said, “I feel like a lot of people don’t try to get out there and…talk to other people, and for a while, that was me. And Bayou’s Best helped me accelerate myself towards becoming a person that’s more extroverted and able to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom.” The Bayou’s Best winner returned to UHD as a full-time MBA student in January. Perez also plans to earn a law degree and expects to submit applications in the near future.