Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Perez.
Hi Sam, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Absolutely. I am a television news reporter at WLTX News 19 in Columbia. I am also the author of “Deviate From Denial: Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery Through Inspirational Stories”, a book that will be published in September. I graduated from Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia in May 2022. I know I am in Gamecock (and Tiger) now so I’ll try not to bark too long, but I am beyond proud to be a Dawg.
My passion for storytelling started in middle school when I was on the speech and debate team. I competed in a “radio broadcasting” category, and I loved everything about it. From preparing a script of news stories on the fly to presenting in front of judges, I quickly developed a passion for it.
Once my parents gave me the idea of pursuing this as a career, I was set. I spent high school learning more about public speaking, and I ultimately went to UGA for its journalism program. Now just a few years later, I’m able to do what I love every single day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To say I’m fortunate is the understatement of the century. I have been blessed with the biggest support system at every step of my journey, and that’s not something I take for granted. My parents have encouraged me to pursue what I love since I was little, and they’ve enabled me to do so at every stage. My friends have cheered me on in each endeavor, and I have felt so supported each and every day. That being said, with every opportunity certainly comes challenges. When it comes to writing my book, simply going through the process has been a challenge – but in the best way. There is so much that goes into creating a book from scratch.
I have been so lucky to work with New Degree Press, which has helped me with the writing, publishing, and marketing process thus far. I have a newfound respect for all authors…it really is a full-time job! Balancing that with my senior year of college and starting a new job has been a challenge, but I like to think it’s really taught me to fine-tune my time management skills.
Speaking of a new job, that’s been another very welcome challenge! I have been wanting to do this for as long as I can remember, and now that I’m here, it’s surreal. I am only four weeks in, but I have been loving every part of it. There is a lot to learn, and it’s intimidating to move to a new city where I don’t know anyone.
It’s been challenging, but in a way that I’m confident is producing a lot of growth, I am thankful to have encouraging coworkers and leaders who have helped me with the transition, and I’m eager to see how I continue to learn and develop while I get my footing and continue to explore the Midlands.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My job title is a multi-skilled journalist for WLTX. Along with the other reporters, my station covers 11 different counties in the Midlands. I work on one story a day, which means I get to meet a lot of cool people and see a lot of neat things. No day is the same, which I love.
Outside of the news station, I help my parents with DV8 Kitchen, a restaurant in my hometown of Lexington, KY. DV8 is a restaurant and bakery with truly “life-changing food”…it hires people in recovery from substance use disorder. Through DV8, my family has met really incredible people with some truly inspiring stories. Because I love storytelling, I decided to turn their experiences and lessons learned into a book.
At this moment, that’s what I’d say I’m most proud of. Publishing a book at 22 years old has been difficult, but I am really excited about the end result and I’ve learned so much along the way. The goal of my book is to erase the stigma surrounding addiction. I think the best way we can start to do that is by talking about the topic with transparency, and so that’s what I hope to convey in “Deviate From Denial.”
I have a unique background having grown up around people in recovery. In fact, my dad is in recovery himself. This has given me a good perspective that I used to write my book.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
The community, hands down! I feel like I’ve been able to see different parts of the area for my job, and every person I’ve interacted with has been so kind and welcoming. There’s a lot I don’t know about the area, but I’ve found someone to answer each question I’ve had. There are so many ways for the community to interact and engage with one another, which I think is really special.
Namely, the Soda City Market is incredible. I did a lot of research on Columbia before I moved here, and that was something I knew I needed to try. I went for the first time a couple of weeks back and man, it sure did live up to the hype. I was shocked by how big it was! So many people showed out – both vendors and customers – despite the summer heat. The energy was electric, the shops were vibrant, and the people were friendly. What more could you ask for? I can’t wait to go back.
To be honest, I haven’t found something I don’t like. I will say though, coming from Georgia, I was sure that I’d be fine with the summer heat. What I’ve found is that whoever deemed Columbia “famously hot” really wasn’t lying…
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sam-perez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sampereznews
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sampereznews
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sampereznews
