Giving

Meet Jacob

Prep Hits All the Right Notes for Music Student

Prep senior and guitar student Jacob Perez '24 recently placed third in a competition at the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music and landed a $20,000 scholarship. The three-day Denver Guitar Festival & Competition is a celebration of the classical guitar and features guest recitals, lectures, and master classes, as well as competitions with prize money.

Jacob, who plans to pursue a doctorate in guitar performance, also spent three weeks last summer at Eastman School of Music at Rochester University, where he was one of only three guitarists in the program. 

In addition to his classical guitar studies, Jacob delved into music theory and world music. He received guidance from Dr. Lynn McGrath, the founder of Sandia Prep's guitar program. You can watch a video of one performance here. 

Beyond his guitar expertise, Jacob contributes as a bassist to Prep's advanced jazz ensemble. His journey with the guitar began in sixth grade at Prep, but he embarked on private lessons at the young age of 8.

Guitar teacher Paul Nielsen nurtured Jacob’s love of music. “Mr. Nielsen has been a huge inspiration and role model as my teacher and mentor,” he says. “He has introduced me to competitions and All-State, which helped me to gain confidence in playing in front of audiences.”

Thanks to Prep's Annual Fund, Jacob has been able to participate in a variety of programs and is a proud member of the cribbage club, varsity track and field, and cross country.

One thing that attracted Jacob to Prep when he applied to sixth grade was the warmth of the faculty. “The teachers seemed to care about who I was as a person as much as the academics,” he says.

That proved true time and again over the years. Jacob singled out numerous teachers and courses as “turning point classes” for him. Eighth-grade algebra with Pat Kelly was one. “Until Mr. Kelly’s class, I felt lost in math, but Mr. Kelly’s teaching style and energy got through to me,” he explains.

Other "turning point classes" for Jacob were Matt Westerlund’s anatomy and physiology class “because of how much I learned” and Tom Gentry-Funk’s world history course “because I was excited to go to class every day.” This year, G-Funk’s philosophy class “is shaping up to be one of my favorites.”

A favorite memory of Jacob’s is from his time on the eighth-grade basketball team. The coach promised a breakfast burrito to the player who ran drills the fastest, and Jacob nabbed the green chile bacon prize. “I felt very proud of myself,” he recalls.

In his spare time, this Unicorn enjoys reading, playing video games, and spending time outdoors with his parents and older brother, Joseph ’22.

As he approaches the end of his time at Prep, Jacob says he is thankful for all of the teachers and students who have influenced him and helped him on his journey. “Being in the company of amazing people and dedicated educators in such a personal environment has helped me grow as a person,” he says. 

He’s also eager to take on the academic challenges of college. “Prep really prepares you for the college workload, and I feel ready!”

Thanks to Prep's Annual Fund donors, students like Jacob continue to have the ability to explore their passions and have amazing connections with top-notch faculty. Prep's Annual Fund creates extraordinary opportunities for extraordinary students like Jacob.