Perla Ruiz

My name is Perla Ruiz, and my life has been shaped by resilience, reinvention, and a commitment to mastering the craft that changed my future: Phlebotomy. I didn’t make it past the 9th grade, but I built a career that many people spend years in classrooms preparing for. I started at the very bottom of healthcare and worked my way into becoming a professor of phlebotomy, a subject‑matter expert, and a clinician trusted for my precision, standards, and my ability to teach the skill in a way only lived experience can.

A first generation American. Trying to fit in but always too loud, my dad taught me that legacy isn’t in the volume, it’s in vibration. You don’t have to be quiet to be profound. You just have to be true. Phlebotomy isn’t just something I do, it is the foundation of everything I’ve built. It’s the craft that opened doors, and the mastery that allowed me to step into leadership, education, and entrepreneurship. It’s also the reason I can stand in front of students today and say with full honesty that your starting point does not determine your ceiling.

Alongside my academic and clinical work, I own a paramedical tattoo studio where I help clients heal through scar revision, areola restoration, and trauma‑informed artistry. It’s another extension of my hands-on mastery, precision, compassion, and transformation.

The core of my story, the part that gives everything meaning is my daughters, Lovenus and Odyssey. They are the loves of my life, the center of every decision, and the reason I kept going when life demanded more than I had. Their strength shaped mine while their softness reminded me to reclaim my own. Perseverance pushed me to rise higher than the circumstances I survived. Because of them, I speak openly about surviving domestic, emotional and financial abuse. My voice is not rooted in pain but in purpose. I use it to uplift others, break silence, and to show that rebuilding is possible, even when the world tries to convince you otherwise.

Outside of my work, my interests reflect that same compassion and curiosity. My love for true crime isn’t about the shock or the spectacle, it’s about the victims, the healing, and the human stories behind the headlines.  I’m a woman who embraces movement, freedom, and curiosity. Dance keeps me connected to joy. My motorcycle reminds me that power can be held in your own hands.