By Morgan Wolfe
11/27/17
Whether he’s running for the K-State track team or studying at Call Hall as a food science student, Rene Perla truly works hard at everything he does. As a K-State athlete, Rene currently dedicates 20 hours of his week to track practice and soon will be dedicating even more time when the spring season arrives and traveling for the sport begins. Althoug
h he works around a busy schedule, Rene finds gratitude for the challenges he faces along the way.
“Push yourself as much as you can,” Rene said. “That’s what I like to live by. I don’t like failure, but I know that sometimes I need it in order to learn.”
This motto definitely influenced decisions in Rene’s life prior to coming to K-State.
“I grew up in Central America,” Rene said. “My parents have a water bottle business, and they always pushed my sisters and I to go after our dreams and choose good industries to work in when we got older. I studied food science back home for a year until I realized that there were schools with better food science programs for me. So I came to Kansas State University.”
Now a junior in food science, Rene is trying to figure out what part of food science he likes best.
“I’m interested in food quality and safety, microbiology too,” Rene mentioned.
Although he hasn’t determined a concentration, Rene still plans to attend graduate school in the future.
“I’m thinking either Purdue or Penn State. Maybe even K-State. Dr. Getty has been a great help in making decisions and giving advice as to where to go, what to do and what big role I want to pursue in a career path.”
Rene’s dedication to learning and sports certainly leaves an impression on those around him.
“I have been impressed with his interest in food science and his efforts to succeed in the class and on the track field,” Dr. Kelly Getty comments. “He’s always looking for new opportunities within food science. I look forward to watching him progress and make an impact in the food industry and his community.”
Keep an eye out for Rene this upcoming spring as he competes in the 400 meter hurdles!