La Colina Junior High remembered the legacy of its former principal, David L. Ortiz, at the school’s annual award ceremony.
He died on March 31 at the age of 71 and the school held a remembrance ceremony in his honor before giving awards to graduating eighth graders.
David Ortiz was La Colina’s principal for 22 years before he retired in 2019. He was known as the heart of La Colina’s campus, where he valued and cherished his students, staff, and employees.
“David Ortiz loved this campus to its very core,” Jennifer Foster, La Colina’s principal, said to the crowd.
He displayed the true meaning of being a Santa Barbara native. He attended McKinley Elementary School, La Cumbre Junior High, and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1972.
David Ortiz was a Santa Barbara City College and San Diego State graduate, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree and teaching credential. He later went to UC Santa Barbara and got his master’s degree and two administrative credentials.
He was surrounded by education his whole life, with him and his siblings choosing education as a career path as well. David Ortiz’s sister, Barbra Ortiz, explained that education is a part of who they are.
“It was just something that [our parents] felt really important,” Barbra Ortiz told the News-Press. “To be educated and to be community-minded, and David carried that further.”
His family was in attendance for the ceremony, where Foster announced the school’s Palm Stage would be dedicated and renamed to the David L. Ortiz Palm Stage—a stage where David Ortiz spent a lot of his time celebrating eighth graders and honoring the school’s milestones.
“The David L. Ortiz Palm Stage will continue to be the center of our campus and a daily reminder of David’s legacy, commitment, and love for La Colina,” Foster said.
A plaque can be seen on the stage for his remembrance, where it has the saying he told people: Dream it, believe it, achieve it.
La Colina announced at the event that they’d be giving out the first-ever David L. Ortiz Leadership Award to a student. The award was given to eighth grader Norah Leonardi.
“When we first talked about honoring David and honorees for this award, it was instantly clear that Norah was exactly the right student for this special award,” Foster said. “Norah applies all the characteristics that David Ortiz lived by and strived for students to uphold.”
It was clear that David Ortiz went above and beyond for students. Foster emphasised he wasn’t just the average principal.
Leslie Ortiz, David Ortiz’s wife, remembered that his retirement was a hard decision for him.
“It was hard for him to retire because he loved what he did,” Leslie Ortiz told the News-Press.
David Ortiz was truly there for his students. Whether it was talking to students at lunch, making sure the last student made it home after school, going to students’ sports games, or cleaning up the school on weekends, he cared.
When it comes to his legacy at La Colina, his family and former colleagues hope he’s remembered as a champion for kids.
“He always fought for the underdog,” Carole Nevarez, La Colina’s assistant principal, said to the News-Press. “The ones that weren’t celebrated.”
People from out of town, even out of California, came to honor David Ortiz.
“I think he would’ve been proud . . . loved it,” Leslie Ortiz said about the ceremony.
