Support of teacher shows Newport Harbor at its best

Friday’s front page article about the support and affection shown to

Newport Harbor High School teacher Jerry Tagami by students and

colleagues is a shining example of how important influencing young

lives can be and how a dedicated teacher can bring out the best that

humanity has to offer (“Newport Harbor holds onto hope for teacher”).

Tagami suffered a brain aneurysm Monday, Feb. 3.

Another teacher at Newport Harbor, and a friend of Jerry Tagami,

calls Jerry the richest man in the world because he did what he loved

and he loved teaching. When someone loves what they are doing,

whether it’s professionally or of a personal nature, then one does it

better. In the case of Tagami, every student and every person he came

into contact with could see that this exceptional man and teacher is

a gem of a person. We as a community are rich when we have gems like

this.

When the community shows support for such a wonderful human

resource as this dedicated teacher, it shows what is best about

mankind, and how important our appreciation of how valuable people

like Tagami are to us and our children. I guess I would have to say

what goes around, comes around.

Tagami as a teacher and as a person has touched the lives around

him for 31 years at Newport Harbor High School. It this type of

teacher that will be part of people’s lives forever and will have an

impact on future generations. Teaching is a noble profession and a

poorly rewarded one, at that. We as a community should realize how

important the teaching of our children is and support Tagami and his

colleagues.

The support for Tagami is inspiring. We should be proud not only

to have Tagami as a teacher, but we should also be proud of the

students who rushed to his bedside in a show of human compassion and

true caring. There are wonderful people in this community, young and

old, and it is so refreshing to hear about such great people rather

than the dark side of human nature here in Newport Beach.

Mr. Tagami, please get well. Your students need you. The parents

need you. All the community and all the world needs you.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Paul James Baldwin is a resident of Newport

Beach.