Gaby Perez is the daughter of two Mexican immigrant parents who settled in San Francisco, California. She was born in the Mission District and raised in Hunters Point. Perez was the first in her family to graduate from Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American History and Ethnic Studies. She later earned a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs, with an emphasis in social justice, from the University of San Francisco. Currently, Perez is pursuing a Ph.D. in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis, with a focus on School Organization and Educational Policy.