Delia Perez

Interviewed by Laurie Lynch

Delia is a bright, outgoing, hardworking woman who always has a smile on her face and is always willing to help out her co-workers. Delia Perez began work as an Intake Assistant for the University in the department of Coverage Enhancement and Appeals Programs in July of 2014. In her day to-day-work, she handles and processes important paperwork for organizations such as The Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA). She loves her co-workers, and recently joined the Diversity Committee at UMass.

Delia grew up in Worcester and graduated from North High School. She also spent a lot of time in New York, where some of her aunts lived, during school vacations and summers. Her mother has fifteen siblings, and her father has twelve! Delia has two brothers, one older and one younger.

Delia holds her family to be incredibly important. In fact, many members of her family were instrumental in naming her. In her family, they believe a family tradition can predict the sex of a baby. The prediction is made by hanging a chain with a charm over the pregnant mother's belly; the direction it swings tells you if the baby will be a boy (swings back and forward) or a girl (swings in a circular motion). Her grandmother performed this tradition and it told Delia’s family that she would be a boy. However, Delia’s aunt (also named Delia) was the only one who said the chain was wrong. So, Delia’s mother and aunt made a bet that if Delia was born a girl, she had to be named after her aunt. (No one remembers what her mother would have won if Delia had been born a boy.) At 5:15, on October 22, Delia’s aunt won the bet.

In the future, Delia hopes to become a teacher and work with children with special needs, specifically children who are blind, deaf, or mute. She plans to continue with her education at Worcester State University, where she has already completed two years of her undergraduate degree.

25 Fun Facts about Delia Perez:

Favorite color – Orange (She is wearing a beautiful orange scarf today.)
Favorite season – Autumn (She loves the foliage and all the pumpkin flavored goodies.)
Beach or woods – Beach (She is scared of bugs.)
Chocolate or vanilla – Chocolate (100% chocolate girl!)
Do you have any pets – No (She did have a wonderful Pitbull named Jada. But, due to Delia's schedule, Jada now lives with one of her uncles.)
Dream vacation – Africa or Thailand (She has always wanted to go to Africa, and Thailand is so beautiful she would love to go and experience the culture.)
Favorite style of music – Very eclectic (Depends on her mood; likes Classical to Hip Hop and everything in between.)
Favorite food – Anything Spanish
Do you blow dry your hair, let it dry on its own, or towel dry – Towel then air dry
Do you untie your shoes when you take them off – No, leave them tied
Favorite book – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Blubber by Judy Bloom (Delia and her mother used to read these books together growing up.)
Last thing you bought – Italian bread (Made garlic bread with it, to go with her dinner last night.)
Favorite day of the week – Friday (End of the work week.)
T.V. shows you secretly enjoy – Once Upon a Time and The Mindy Project
Favorite Potato Chips flavor – Wachusett Barbecue (She puts them on everything she can, including her sandwiches.)
Do you play a musical instrument – Flute (When she was in grade school, she thought she was really good, but now knows she was really bad!)
What's your biggest pet peeve – People who chew like cows
Do you have dream car – Range Rover, olive green with cream leather interior
If you could only eat 1 meal for the rest of your life, what would it be – Mofongo (A fried plantain-based dish, typically made with fried green plantains mashed together in a pilón, with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon.)
If you could go back in time, when would you go to and why – To before her grandparents passed. They helped raise her and although she told them how thankful she was and how much she loved them all the time, she would love the chance to tell them again.
If you got stranded on a deserted island with no power source, what 5 items would you bring – A good book, big notebook, pen or pencil, thread with an attached needle and a pot
What languages do you speak – English, Spanish, and learning Arabic
Favorite hobbies – Knitting and cooking (She loves to experiment with new recipes. She just found a recipe for Jamaican Patties that she plan on making soon.)
Fun fact that not everyone knows about you – Aunt is a published author (Maggie Millet)
Do you have a favorite life motto – “A closed mouth don’t get fed”