By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
The beats of Nelson and Tiffany Perez鈥檚 love story includes birthdays, beach volleyball, the promise of dessert, a breakup and a Bible.
But, more than anything, it revolves around the 91社区.
It is where they were educated, met one another and fell in love.
And it is where their twin daughters, Mikayla and Brianna, are now students.
Those connections are why they have been honored as the 2024 USF Family of the Year. The award is presented annually to a household who shows unwavering support for their USF Bull and demonstrates what it means to be a part of the USF family.
鈥淯SF is such a big part of our story,鈥� said Nelson, vice president of trust services for the Clearwater-based Family Network on Disabilities. 鈥淥ur family doesn鈥檛 exist without it.鈥�
Of course, the Perez family also might not exist without AOL Instant Messenger. In a way, they are USF鈥檚 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Got Mail鈥� Family.
For the uninitiated, and anyone under 40: AOL Instant Messenger was one of the earliest mainstream chat apps. And 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Got Mail鈥� was a popular 1998 romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks as competing bookstore owners who, using anonymous screen names, unknowingly fall in love while chatting over email and AOL Instant Messenger.
Tiffany and Nelson Perez as USF students.
The Perez鈥檚 love story goes like this:
Nelson was in his first year at USF and Tiffany her second when, in early 2001, a common friend introduced them to one another.
鈥淚鈥檇 heard about him,鈥� said Tiffany, who teaches at Clearwater鈥檚 Kids Corner Preschool. 鈥淏ut the first time I met him right outside the Cooper Hall Subway, I remember thinking that he didn鈥檛 look like a Nelson because Nelson sounded nerdy, and he was tall and handsome.鈥�
For Nelson鈥檚 birthday in February of that year, friends gathered for games of beach volleyball at Reflections Apartments where he lived off campus.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I remember really flirting with her,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淚 really wanted to talk with her outside of a group setting, but someone was always around.鈥�
This was before cellphones were a norm and when roommates shared landlines, so a phone call did not promise privacy either. But online chatting could. So, a few days after his birthday, when Nelson saw that Tiffany was logged on to AOL Instant Messenger too, he did not waste the opportunity.
鈥淚 just messaged her, 鈥楬ey, this is Nelson,鈥� he said.
In 鈥淵ou鈥檝e Got Mail,鈥� Hanks鈥� character wooed Ryan鈥檚 with messages such as, 鈥淒on't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.鈥�
Nelson鈥檚 courting of Tiffany was not as poetic. He asked her out for a burger with the joking promise of a milkshake if it went well.
鈥淗ey, it definitely went well,鈥� he said with a laugh.
For their first date, with a single yellow rose in hand, Nelson met Tiffany in front of Holly Apartments where she resided. They went to the Chili鈥檚 on Fowler Avenue, but neither ordered a burger.
鈥淚 got a turkey sandwich because it was the cleanest option on the menu,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to order anything that could make a mess, like wings or a burger.鈥�
The Perez children have been attending USF football games since they were little.
There was no milkshake either, but more dates followed. A few weeks later, Nelson knew he wanted to marry Tiffany. But that feeling was not yet mutual.
鈥淚 was nursing a broken heart,鈥� Tiffany said. 鈥淪o, in May, I broke up with him and said we should just be friends.鈥�
Nelson was not going to let love walk out of his life. He agreed to a break, but also promised to call on her birthday in July.
鈥淲e then went our separate ways for the summer鈥� Tiffany said. 鈥淗e went home to Seminole, and I went to my grandparents鈥� house in Dunedin.鈥�
On her birthday, he called.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥楬e really did?鈥欌�� Tiffany said. 鈥淗e then asked if he could come over and give me a present, which was a Bible with my name inscribed in it. He said he had been praying for us all summer.鈥�
She agreed to another date. That led to dozens more. The following July, as they walked on an Indian Shores beach, Nelson dropped to one knee and proposed. They were married the next June.
鈥淲e have a wonderful life,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淲e owe a lot to USF. We love USF.鈥�
He and Tiffany passed down that love of USF to their three children, the twins and younger son Joshua, whom they raised in Palm Harbor.
鈥淔rom a young age, I remember walking around campus, going to the bookstore, taking pictures,鈥� Mikayla said.
Added Brianna, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember a time when we didn鈥檛 know about USF.鈥�
So, when the twins decided to pursue college degrees, USF was the obvious choice.
Mikayla is studying public relations and advertising and Brianna, management with a concentration in human resources. They are in their first year, but earned enough credits while in high school to enter as juniors.
Mikayla and Brianna Perez flank Danielle McDonald, USF's dean of students.
鈥淯SF was an amazing experience for Nelson and me,鈥� Tiffany said. 鈥淣ow, our girls are following in our footsteps. I hope their experiences are just as amazing.鈥�
The USF Family of the Year is an initiative coordinated by the Parent & Family Engagement office on Tampa campus in time for Family Weekend in the fall. Learn more about the Family of the Year initiative on the website.