Few people can say that the Politécnico saved their lives. Hugo Alberto Pérez Acevedo, a stand-up comedian better known as "Cojo Feliz," is acutely aware of this fact, and in his case, nothing could be closer to the truth.
“For me, the Politécnico will always be, in my heart, the school to which I belonged, the one that shaped me even more intensely. Thanks to the institution providing Social Security while you are a student, they were able to treat my cancer. I had no access to any medical services from my parents; it was because of the Politécnico that I saved my life.” Hugo Alberto’s father always spoke of the excellence and high academic standards at the IPN, so from a young age, he was certain he wanted to study there. He chose the Centro de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos (CECyT) 14 “Luis Enrique Erro.”
Anyone observing Hugo Alberto’s demeanor would think that humor and good spirits have been a constant presence throughout his life. However, he explains that it was not until his university years that he developed these skills, particularly during his studies in Computer Science at the Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y Administrativas (UPIICSA).
At this institution, he also discovered his interest in the stage, having taken a theater workshop from which he learned several things: “They teach you how to breathe, how to project your voice, and those skills stay with you forever.”
During this stage of his professional education, in his eighth semester, he received the devastating news of a cancerous tumor in his knee. The battle against the disease was tough, but his family and friends’ support prevented him from falling into despair. It was then that he transformed tragedy into comedy.
“Perhaps it was a mix of naivety, insolence, and even irreverence in not fully grasping the severity of what I was facing that led me to simply think, ‘I just have to give it my all.’ There’s no other choice but to try and bring it to comedy. It’s crucial to realize that circumstances like illness, crime, and delinquency can take many things away from you, but there is something that is truly yours: your sense of humor, your laughter.”
IPN Imagen Institucional: Read the full article in Spanish here.
INSTITUTO POLITÉCNICO NACIONAL
D.R. Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN). Av. Luis Enrique Erro S/N, Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Alcaldía Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07738, Ciudad de México. Conmutador: 55 57 29 60 00 / 55 57 29 63 00.
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