A Second Homecoming

Adriana Ayuso Perez ’02 and Brianna Perez ’20 celebrate Mayfield’s first mother-daughter graduation

In a heartwarming scene in the Class of 2020 commencement video, graduate Brianna Perez’s dapper two-year-old brother, Mateo, steals the show as he presents his big sister with her Mayfield diploma. Then Assistant Head of School Toi Webster Treister ’82 appears with a second bouquet of red roses and walks towards Brianna’s mom, Adriana Ayuso Perez ’02. It’s not until Mrs. Treister ties on Adriana’s Holy Child medallion that we realize that this mother of two is finally getting her own Mayfield graduation, 18 years after she finished high school.

Brianna was born just six days before the Class of 2002’s commencement exercises. It had never really bothered Adriana that she didn’t get to walk. “I never thought that the act of graduation was that important—as long as you got the diploma, that’s all that mattered.” But, she said, watching her daughter walk down the red carpet outside Strub Hall made her realize what she had missed—not the opportunity to revel in her own accomplishments, but rather the chance “to celebrate and thank those who supported [me] throughout that journey.” So, this deferred graduation was an especially poignant experience to share with her dad, Juan, who was “beaming with pride,” and her husband, Edgar Perez, who presented her with her Mayfield diploma.

While raising Brianna with the love and support of her parents, Adriana earned her Bachelor’s degree from Cal State LA over a seven-year period. The day she graduated, she accepted a job as an electrical engineer for the City of Los Angeles, where she has worked for the past 11 years. When it came time for Brianna to choose a high school, Adriana says she tried to stay impartial, but describes being back at 500 Bellefontaine for the first time in almost 14 years as an “out-ofbody experience.” Although the campus had changed, she immediately felt at home.

Adriana was quick to share her profound appreciation for former Head of School Jeanne Register, who homeschooled her during the second half of her senior year, but her deepest gratitude is for her classmates: “I would like to take the opportunity to thank the ladies of 2002 for the love and support they showed me. I will never forget the class baby shower that you threw for me, the tons of cute outfits you bought for Brianna, and the visits in the hospital after Brianna was born. Thank you, to each and every one of you. I am forever grateful for the gestures of kindness and support you offered to me during that transitional time in my life.”

As Brianna heads off to Cal Poly Pomona to pursue engineering—just like her mom, stepdad and grandfather—Adriana knows that 500 Bellefontaine will always be the home of unforgettable family memories. “I feel honored and blessed to be a lifetime member of the Mayfield Holy Child community.”

Adriana Ayuso Perez ’02 finally celebrates her graduation with dad Juan Ayuso, daughter Brianna Perez ’20, husband Edgar Perez and son Mateo.