Lisette Perez, a junior recreation and park management major at Northwest Missouri State University, recently was awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Missouri Park and Recreation Association Charitable Trust.

“Winning this award reassures me that I am in the right career field,” Perez, a native of Nixa, Missouri, said. “I enjoy working in recreation and feel like I do a pretty good job at it. It’s cool to see that professionals in the field think the same.” 

As a student-athlete with the Bearcat track and field team, Perez says Northwest has provided her with opportunities to gain organizational and time management skills. In addition, she is a volunteer track and field coach for the Association of Group Homes and Nodaway County Services’ Special Olympics team.

This summer, Perez will participate in an internship as the assistant director of recreation for School-Parks Are Reaching Communities (SPARC) in Springfield, Missouri.

“I have made so many new relationships within my teammates, coaches, weights staff, trainers and professors,” Perez said. “Everyone is so welcoming and supportive. They made Northwest my home away from home, and I will forever be grateful for them.”

The Missouri Park and Recreation Scholarship Charitable Trust was formalized in 1970 and provides approximately $25,000 annually in scholarships for sports and recreation majors.  Each school with COAPRT accreditation is allowed to designate a faculty member as a trustee.

“Lisette is a committed student-athlete who is invested in gaining knowledge, experience and willingness to serve others. She has a teacher’s heart,” Dr. Tyler Tapps, an associate professor of recreation who serves as Northwest’s representative for the Missouri Park and Recreation Charitable Trust said.