Technology Track

Paul Perez

Instructor, Mechatronics Technology

College of Western Idaho

I grew up in a small desert town called Buckeye, Arizona, the youngest of four children in a family of immigrants who never made it past the second grade. What we lacked in formal education, we made up for in grit. My childhood was filled with dust, horses, cattle, and long days outside. I spent my time hunting, fishing, camping, and competing in team roping, cutting, and reining cow horse events.

My grandfather was a horse trainer, and the rest of my family were ranchers and farmers, so from a young age I learned how to work, really work. Horses do not care if you are tired. Cattle do not care if it is hot. That kind of upbringing teaches responsibility quickly.

After high school, I did something that surprised a lot of people: I went to Arizona State University and double majored in Engineering and Animal Science. I always thought I would become a large animal veterinarian, but life has a funny way of opening new doors. I discovered engineering, fell in love with it, and eventually earned an advanced degree in semiconductor physics.

That decision launched a 30 year career in tech. I worked for companies like Micron, Onsemi, Eastman Kodak, Sony Imaging, and Apple. Engineering took me far beyond the ranch, to Italy, England, France, Sweden, Norway, China, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan. I was able to see how technology is built, how global teams solve problems, and how innovation shapes the world.

In 2025, after three decades in industry, I retired and became a professor at the College of Western Idaho. Now I get to teach, build courses, and help students discover their own paths, something I find just as rewarding as any engineering project.

Outside the classroom, I am still the same person I was growing up. I am a father of five adult children. I still train horses. I still compete. I still spend as much time outdoors as I can. The difference now is that I get to bring both sides of my life together, the ranch kid and the engineer, and use that experience to inspire the next generation.