Promise Partner: Peres champions Promise Scholarship
Mason Peres could sum up all his titles with one word on a business card: overachiever.
At 23, Peres already holds a master’s degree and has headed the local Rotary Club, volunteered for Pasadena and Houston’s rodeos, and chaired parade committees for Sylvan Beach Day, the Fourth of July, and Mardi Gras.
Nothing makes Peres prouder, though, than supporting education. The La Porte High School graduate and former San Jacinto College student invests his time — and finances — in paying it forward to the generation after him.
Peres serves not only on the San Jacinto College Foundation Board of Directors but also on the La Porte Independent School District Board of Trustees. With the average Texas public school trustee three decades older, he brings a younger perspective to the table.
“I want to showcase what it’s like in La Porte schools now,” he said. “The high school experience today is a completely different ballgame.”
For Peres, supporting the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship means giving high school graduates in the College’s taxing district purpose and direction.
Many who wouldn’t attend college otherwise now choose to enroll. This includes those
who come from economically disadvantaged homes and those who don’t qualify for scholarships
because of a higher household income.
Peres, who completed his freshman year at San Jac as a dual credit student, said his family’s income disqualified him from most scholarships. He champions the Promise @ San Jac Scholarship because it’s available to all, regardless of income or high school GPA.
“I was blessed to have a family who could afford to send me to college, but with Promise, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “You have the same advantage as everyone else.”
The San Jacinto College Foundation is seeking the final donors to fund the Promise @ San Jac endowment 100%, covering degrees and certificates for all future in-district high school graduates.
As a Foundation board member, Peres not only introduces local businesses to giving opportunities but also encourages La Porte students to attend San Jac.
San Jac has a far reach. Being a small part of student success is very important to me.
Why does Peres believe in Promise @ San Jac? Because he has witnessed the impact. When the scholarship expanded to all high schools in San Jac’s taxing district in 2022, he encouraged one La Porte High School senior who was interested in the petrochemical industry to check it out.
As a first-generation student, the teen was nervous about navigating college but decided to apply to San Jac. He attended as a Promise Scholar, graduated with a process technology degree, and landed a solid job at a plant.
“No one in his family had made more than $50,000 a year, and now his starting salary is $100,000,” Peres said.
Peres also has personal reasons for supporting Promise. Two younger sisters are still in the pipeline to attend San Jac. One, a high school sophomore, plans to pursue dual credit classes. The other may be a Promise Scholar in the making.
“San Jac has a far reach,” Peres said. “Being a small part of student success ... is very important to me. I’m proud to see students through from kindergarten to college.”
Become a Promise Partner
The Promise @ San Jac Scholarship promises a debt-free certificate or associate degree to graduating high school seniors in the College’s taxing district.
By becoming a Promise Partner, you help build an endowment that makes the scholarship available for generations to come.
