Hi, Angel.
Hi.
Oh my-- I'm like freezing.
Wow, this is amazing.
First of all, it's really nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
Your name is Angel.
You're 18 years old.
Yes.
And your life is--
we've had a lot of people on the show
and I've heard a lot of stories, but your life
is incredible that you're sitting here
that you actually made it.
This is incredible.
So at nine years old, you were kind of
left to raise your younger siblings.
How many-- how old were they?
Well, I have three younger siblings, Kevia, Justin,
and Joshua.
Kevia was six, Joshua was seven, and Justin was five years old.
And you were nine years old?
Yes I was.
OK, so explain.
Basically, you were on your own since you were six years old.
Sadly, I was put in a very tough situation.
Growing up, I didn't really have it too easy
because my dad and my mom were constantly fighting a lot.
It was just very toxic in the household,
so my mom actually walked out of my life
when I was six years old.
And so I was left to live with my dad.
And we was moving from shelter to shelter, always living in--
we've lived in Harlem, in the Bronx,
in Queens, all of the boroughs, actually.
And we never had a stable household to live in.
Right.
And then your dad wasn't really able to take care of you.
So then you were responsible for getting them to school,
getting yourself to school.
I don't know how you did that.
So you're going to elementary school,
you're getting these kids ready to make them go to school.
And then the school found out that you were on your own,
and what happened?
So my siblings and I would have to learn how to take the bus
and train all by ourselves early in the morning,
without a parent.
I had to make sure I didn't lose anyone because, straight up,
it's on me.
So it was definitely very, very overwhelming.
And then my school also noticed that there
was lack in our attendance.
So because of that, they paid a visit to the shelter
that we were living in in Harlem and noticed that our living
conditions weren't really good.
My dad was-- he's diabetic.
Well, he was diabetic at the time.
And so he was always weak.
He wasn't able to care for us and give us
the attention that we need, so they
noticed that it was outrageous.
So they take you out of the shelter.
Yes.
And they split you up.
And they put you and your brother
with one foster family, and your other siblings with another.
Yes.
And so you're graduating fifth grade,
you were with-- what's his name, Manuel?
Manuel, yes.
Manuel.
So you're with your brother, you're graduating fifth grade,
and what happens?
My brother Joshua, which is the second oldest,
we was put into the foster home with Manuel--
which is my dad now, which I can get into that, of course.
And so for my fifth grade graduation,
my dad was actually-- the whole time I didn't know any
of this--
but he was working with the agency,
with the landlord of the building, because when
we were first placed, we lived in a two bedroom apartment.
But he was working with the landlord,
got a four bedroom apartment just
to create room to try to see if he could
get my siblings in his care.
So for my fifth grade graduation,
we went out to dinner, and so my brother and I went to the park.
And he actually went to pick up my younger
sister and my brother.
And so when he comes to pick us up from the park,
he's like get in the car.
Don't look to the back of the car,
because at the back of the car is your second gift,
your graduation gift.
So I'm like, OK, I'm young.
I'm like, all right, I won't look.
And so my sister, she kind of ruined the surprise
without knowing.
So she's like, Angel, Angel.
And I'm like, what are you doing here?
She's like, we live with you now.
I'm like, no way.
And so that's exactly how he was able to put us all together.
And to this day, we are all still together.
What a great guy he is.
Yes.
[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
What do you want to do after college?
After college?
Well I definitely want to move my family into a better
position, I want to be able to get them a big house
and have us all together, if possible.
I just want them to feel much safer, much secure,
they know that everything's going to be great.
And I also want to, career-wise, I would like to be a reporter,
whether that's being on TV, being on camera
like I am now, which is just crazy.
[LAUGHTER]
In general, just try to work in the entertainment
aspect or a reporter.
All right, well, whatever you do in this business,
if you're a reporter, you have to learn how to read prompters.
So look into that camera right there and read that prompter.
"This is Angel Perez, and right now I'm a guest on 'The Ellen
DeGeneres Show.'
Ellen said she likes surprises and wanted me
to know that her friend at Green Dot Bank
want to help me save for the future, so they're going to"--
sorry, my contacts are blurry-- "give me this.
Zenor."
Zenor.
Zenor?
Sorry.
Zenor, run it.
[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
Oh, my God!
Oh.
[CRYING]
[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
We'll be right back.
We're back with Angel Perez, whose story is amazing.
And Manuel is quite a guy, that he not only took you two in,
but then took the whole-- all of your siblings.
What does he mean to you?
Wow, words cannot describe how much he means to me.
He means a lot to me.
He's definitely an inspiration.
And to be very, very honest, I feel like if it wasn't for him,
I would definitely not be in this seat right now.
I would not be in this seat, would not
be in a position I am.
And because of him, I was able to get a second chance at life,
because coming from-- oh, my God, this is very tough--
but coming from where I come from,
we was in such a toxic situation,
and he was able to take us out of that situation
together and keep us together.
[SOBBING QUIETLY]
And the fact that I know that I owe it all to him,
he means the world to me.
He is my inspiration.
Yeah, what a great guy he is.
But really, the fact that you made it
even that long before Manuel even
is saving you is incredible.
That shows the strength that is inside of you.
And I know your siblings are really, really important
to you.
And it's important that they go to college, so Green Dot wants
to help even more.
They want to make sure that all of your siblings go to college.
They are giving each of them $20,000 as well.
[CHEERS, APPLAUSE]
[SOBBING QUIETLY]
So they're taken care of.
We'll be right back.