A real life "Mr. Holland", Richard Alipaz
I am a sucker for "wonderful teacher changes hard to reach student's lives" stories. I loved To Sir, With Love and Mr. Holland's Opus. But, when I see those movies, in the past, I said to myself, "that is fantasy, that is Hollywood." I used to think people like that couldn't exist. That is until I met Richard Alipaz. Rich is the band director and the genius behind the Leigh High School Marching Band. He is a wonderful teacher and is loved by many young people at Leigh High. He is a man I admire and is a great role model for both students and jaded parents alike. He is creative and is a real artist in how he leads the band. Band is the hardest thing I have ever seen Kenneth do and the kids in the band work their hearts out. Rich just completed his Master's degree and is leaving Leigh Band for a job in Administration at Branham High. It is quite a loss for the band and it is coming at a time of severe budget cuts. The kids will miss him, the parents will miss him, I will miss him. He was, and is, a source of inspiration.
5:12:22 PM 
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