Happy Birthday, Mrs. Ayala

The only yearbook from my high school days that I ever purchased was the one in my senior year. Had I known that my senior year would have gone as bad as it did, I would have saved the money. I pulled my yearbook off the shelf a few minutes ago and took a quick trip down memory lane. Fighting the gag reflex, I decided to go ahead and write a blog post

Mrs. Ann Ayala was my English teacher in my senior year during my sentence/term at A.P. Leto Comprehensive High School in Tampa, Florida. I graduated in June of 1971. She passed away in 2010 at the age of 93.

Until I read her obituary several years ago, I did not know that she and I shared a birthday. Yes, today is my birthday. It was also Mrs. Ayala's birthday.

With a few days left in the school year, yearbooks were distributed. For a few days, school was a madhouse as everyone ran around getting fellow students and teachers to sign their yearbooks. I only had about twenty-five people who signed my yearbook. Mrs. Ayala was the only teacher who I asked to sign my yearbook. She wrote "Gil, I really enjoyed reading your essays- clever and well-done. I expect great things from you in college and later."

A couple of days later, on the last day of classes for seniors, as we were heading out the door after English class, Mrs. Ayala said, "Gilbert, I would like to speak to you for a moment." I walked over to her desk as the classroom emptied. She said, "What are your plans for life after graduation?" I responded, "I am going to attend the University of South Florida. I think that I would like to study engineering, but I am not sure about that yet."

She responded, " I have never told a student this before, but I don't think that you will be happy in college. You don't appear to like school.  I think that you will not stay in college very long. I just don't think that it is for you.  I think that you should just find some kind of work that you enjoy and do that. Life will be better if you enjoy your work. You are a smart guy; you will make it work." I stammered out a response, "I will certainly consider that idea. Thank you!" I am still stunned that a teacher told me NOT to go to college. 

My part-time job at the Waffle House became a full-time job after graduation. When classes at USF started in September, they did it without me in attendance. Mrs. Ayala was right. More than 55 years later, I am still sure that I made the right decision. Thank you, Mrs. Ayala.

Happy Birthday to Mrs. Anne Ayala!!