Tizoc -- The Student I Invited to Dinner

Some students leave behind memorable essays. Others leave behind memorable conversations. Tizoc Garcia did both. Tizoc was a student in my Advanced Expository Writing course during the winter of 1997. He wrote essays that were thoughtful, principled, culturally informed, and deeply engaging. His writing revealed someone who cared about ideas and who approached difficult questions with both conviction and generosity. The following quarter, my wife Kate and I hosted what we called a “Politically Incorrect” party, inspired by the television program of the same name. We invited people with widely differing backgrounds and perspectives to spend an evening talking together. Among the guests were my mentor teacher and professor Ellen Lange, her husband Harry, friends from Planned Parenthood, and Tizoc, whose voice I wanted in that conversation because of the intellectual character he had demonstrated in class. Years later, I briefly crossed paths with him again at one of the poetry readings I host in Davis. I didn’t recognize him until after he had left, but it reminded me that teachers never really know when a former student will reappear in their lives. One of the lasting gifts of teaching is discovering students whose writing introduces you to remarkable people. Tizoc reminded me that strong essays do more than communicate ideas. They reveal judgment, integrity, curiosity, and character. Thank you, Tizoc, for enriching my classroom and for reminding me that the most rewarding conversations often begin with a student essay. This video is part of my ongoing project to thank the former students who have shaped my life as a teacher. Their names, ideas, courage, and curiosity are among the greatest gifts of my career. Please subscribe for more. #Teaching #Education #Writing #CollegeTeaching #FormerStudents #Gratitude #LifelongLearning #Mentorship #UCDavis #Storytelling #politicallyincorrect