Cindy Perez

Cindy Perez was born in Sacramento, California, and is of Puerto Rican descent. When she was 9 years old, her family left Puerto Rico and moved to Maryland, where her father was reassigned while in the US Army. She learned to speak English by watching sitcoms and emulating what she saw in the mirror. Within a year, she attained one of the highest scores in the county in Math, Science, and English aptitude tests. At 10, still speaking little English, she auditioned and was accepted to the Thomas Pullen Creative and Performing Arts Academy in Maryland, majoring in Vocal and Musical Performance, which she continued during her high school years. She performed at the Kennedy Center alongside Rita Moreno, for PBS and other news outlets, and was a part of the State Honor Choir for three consecutive years, within which she was selected among thousands of children to perform in a special performance with the Maryland Philharmonic "Choral Symphony No. 1. Merlin, Magician of the Universe" by Br