Posted: Oct 12, 2016
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – As a member of the Tennessee Tech softball team, Gabby Perez is used to playing a role In the community as part of the program's many community outreach efforts.
But after flooding struck her home state of Louisiana, the senior infielder made a decision to try to help those in need.
Her efforts, along with those she has done in the community, made her a runaway choice for the September Unsung Leader award, the first of the 2016-17 academic year.
One student-athlete each month, nominated by members of the athletics staff, is selected and recognized for exemplifying outstanding leadership qualities. The leadership can be shown on the field, in the weight room, at practice, in the class room, on campus, in the community, for a student club or organization.
The award honors a varsity student-athlete who has made a positive impact on her team and the Tennessee Tech community as whole, through his or her dedication to demonstrating leadership traits, such as:
- Keep Learning, Growing and Improving
- Follow Through with Excellence
- Accomplish More than Expected
- Inspire and Motivate Others
On August 12 through 22, a storm system dropped nearly three times as much rain on Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina did, an equivalent of 7.1 trillion gallons of water or enough to fill Lake Pontchartrain nearly four times, with rainfall exceeding 20 inches in many parishes.
It was noted as the worst U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and 13 people lost their lives in the event. Twenty parishes, many in the areas surrounding Baton Rouge and Lafayette, were declared federal disaster areas.
That was when Perez wanted to help give back to her her home state and community – Covington, La., in St. Tammany Parrish, one of the affected areas.
"I knew it was all happening," Perez said. "My mom sent me a picture of a South Carolina 18-wheeler that they had sent down and I thought, 'Man, we could totally do that.' I knew enough people in the community and through athletics that I knew we could do this and get enough stuff to make a difference and impact their lives.
"I went to (Athletics Director) Mark Wilson and we had talked before and he said if I ever needed anything to let him know. I ran the idea past him and he said it'd be a great idea and sent me to Michelle Huddleston, who helped me get it off the ground with connections around the campus, the head of Greek Life, the head of faculty, all of the students with the e-mails and just get the word out."
Perez continued, "From there, it was all pretty much putting it in God's hands."
Putting drop-off points all over the Tech campus, Perez and her efforts helped gather supplies and food for those affected by the flooding.
"She has not only gotten our team involved," said Tech softball head coach Bonnie Bynum Graham, "but the entire TTU community, collecting donations for the flood victims to send to the Red Cross."
It was a little bit of a slow start, but the effort grew and grew.
"I was a little bit nervous at first," Perez said. "My friend, Taylor Gillespie, and I made all these signs and collected all these boxes and set them out. In the first week, we didn't get that much stuff. I was like, 'Man…'
"So I just kept praying. It then just finally took off. We ended up with 40 boxes and 10 cases of water. We had donations from our local Food Lion and Kroger, but most of the donations came from around campus."
Perez continued, "The biggest response I got was from Greek Life with Kappa Delta and Delta Phi Epsilon and Alpha Delta Pi giving us a lot of stuff."
When the boxes started to fill, Perez was humbled.
"I thought, 'Man, I can't believe this is happening,'" She said. "'It's all coming together.' It just put a huge smile on my face. God's actually working in our community, our athletic department, our school.
"So I extended it an extra week and it gave us a little extra time to help get things together, get things boxed and ready to go. But it's been so, so rewarding to see it all come together and realize that we can make a difference for people."
But that's just one of the deeds that Perez has served as she also cooks meals for a local elderly gentleman, 90-year-old Fred Hammerstein, in the Cookeville community during her spare time.
"It's a very humbling experience," Perez said. "It tests you a little bit, but in the end, it's really rewarding. Two of my friends worked for them and they needed a third person, so I stepped in. They graduated so I took lead, and one of my other teammates works for him as well. It takes about three hours of time a day, but it's so rewarding. I really enjoy it."
Graham said, "I am extremely proud of Gabby and what she is doing for her community. It truly highlights what kind of person she is and speaks volumes about her character."
One of the main goals a Tennessee Tech student-athlete has is to help give back to the community, and that's something that isn't lost on Perez.
"It's amazing what we can do when we all come together, when we pull together on one direction," she said. "It's like being a part of a team. You pull together in one direction, we'll achieve our goal. That was the game plan I had going into this."
