“I always told myself, ‘If I ever get a chance to attend PA school, I would,’” says Marilyn Perez. She grew up in Tulare County. “My parents were both field laborers as children,” she reflects. “Eventually, they had the opportunity to go to high school and graduated from college at a later date.” Marilyn watched many of her relatives working in the agricultural field.

However, she had her heart set on another field: medicine. “I was going to come back to the Central Valley to the community,” she shares.

 

Inspired by her mother, who later worked in the ICU as a nurse, Marilyn wanted to follow in her footsteps.

 

“I would visit her at the hospital and ask her a lot of questions,” she smiles. “I did an internship at a law office in high school and realized I loved reading the medical history reports at a personal injury firm. I would go home and ask my mom, ‘What does this mean? What does that mean?’” Medicine was her future.

 

“I started working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at a rehab facility and met some nurse practitioners and physician assistants,” she says. When they told her what they did for a living, Marilyn was intrigued. “I had never heard of a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant before that,” she says.

 

She started off in Pre-Med, earning her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Bakersfield, before obtaining her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. She explains, “I wanted an emphasis on primary care and family medicine, especially serving underserved and rural communities.”

 

After graduating, she returned to the Central Valley and has been working in family practice for 16 years. “I’m a certified Advanced Diabetic Educator,” she explains. She helps diabetics learn how to better control their blood sugar and administer medications.

 

Today, Marilyn works with Living Water Clinic, helping serve rural communities including Lindsay, Woodlake, and Selma. “We provide healthcare to rural communities and agricultural workers,” she says. “A lot of people here really have a heart for service.”

 

Her ability to speak Spanish is essential in her work. “I learned to speak Spanish because of my father,” she shares. Her father, born in Mexico, came from a family that was very talented in mariachi music. Her father and grandfather were both in mariachi bands.

 

“From the time I was 10, I was learning to play mariachi music,” she says. By the time she was 12, she was already performing in open shows alongside famous Mexican mariachi artists, including Alejandro Fernández. Over the years, she also participated in gala performances in Los Angeles honoring actors Edward James Olmos and Tony Plana. She credits mentor Juan Morales with helping guide her musical growth. “He taught us how to read music,” she says.

 

These days, Marilyn still plays violin for weddings and dinner venues. Her children also have a love for music. Her daughter Juliana plays trumpet, while her son Lucas plays violin. Over the years, Marilyn has taught mariachi music to students in various mariachi programs as an homage to her family and heritage. She continues to encourage and promote music education, believing it is highly integral to the next generation of students.

 

And yes, even the family’s four-legged friends carry musical names! Bessie, the family’s beloved Border Collie mix, was named after Blues legend Bessie Smith. Other pets have been named after Jazz and Beatles icons too. “We like naming animals after singers and musicians we really like,” Marilyn laughs. They’ve also had dogs named Ringo, Sadie and Mingus, after a famous Jazz singer.

 

When she’s not caring for patients or performing music, Marilyn enjoys walking through the Belcourt neighborhood with Bessie, traveling throughout California, attending concerts and movies with her children, and simply soaking up time with family.

 

“I love the close-knit community,” she says of the neighborhood. “I like to walk to the shops that are there.” She also loves her friendly neighbors.

 

She is also helping lead the way for women as a trailblazer and a pathfinder. “I’m looking forward to empowering women and seeking higher education and graduate degrees,” Marilyn says. She is proud to be the Secretary for the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Just as her dreams came true, she wants to enable other women to achieve their dreams as well.

 

For the daughter of field laborers who once dreamed about PA school, Marilyn is an inspiration. Never give up on your dreams. Keep working hard, maximize your potential, put others first, and live a life of purpose.