My name is Reginald Mack, and I am a member of the class of 1986 at West Portal Lutheran Church and School. I have to begin not at West Portal but at a small preschool in San Francisco that trained and educated young people in preparation for greater academic opportunities. I must respect and honor Mrs. Ursula Shoats, my preschool teacher. I was trained with students like Konya Washington, Estevan Goldsmith, and others who transitioned into West Portal at different times but left West Portal Lutheran prepared for life and equipped with the Word of God.
On a cold day in September of 1977, I stepped onto the Moraga Campus bright-eyed and nervous because I had not been around so many children at one time. I didn’t become relaxed until I saw Estevan Goldsmith, who seemed to know the campus as if he had been there before. We took seats in the classroom, only for someone to grab me from that class and place me in another. In this classroom, I met my kindergarten teacher, Margaret Finley. She introduced me to two young ladies who would be like sisters to me for the next nine years: her daughters, Eileen and Margaret. Over the next two years, I would stay connected to Mrs. Finley as she was the perfect “mother figure” on campus. Also, I would begin to develop friendships with classmates such as Ken Cordero, Matthew Blackburn, Michael Penn, Allen Tom, Conrad Huey, and others. I didn’t know I would develop relationships that would run well into high school and some into our adult years.
My years at West Portal Lutheran were the best nine years of my youth. Of course, these were not my sentiments then, but several years ago, I had the opportunity to talk with a fellow Wildcat, Randolph Belle, class of 1983. After much reflection, he made a statement that I had to adopt because it was an absolute fact. Belle said, “All the things West Portal taught me, I still use today.” The skills that West Portal Lutheran School taught have equipped me for life. My experience at WPL could be seen not long ago while attending Mr. Morris’ 50th Teaching Anniversary celebration. My wife and I sat at a table with graduates from the 2000s. My wife leaned over and whispered, “What did they teach you guys? You are old enough to be these students’ fathers, yet you all sit and eat alike! You all carry yourselves like gentlemen.”
All nine years were no cakewalk. I admit I was a challenge for my third and fourth-grade teachers, Ms. Dusell and Ms. Valstad. By fifth grade, my mind was preoccupied with sports. I am sure Mrs. Mills thought I could not learn because I was always physically there, but my mind was at a sports event. Mrs. Raisch, my sixth-grade teacher, always did her best to encourage me to tap into my potential. That lightbulb didn’t turn on until my seventh-grade year! (I must shout out to the 1984 WPL 6th Grade Baseball Champions!!!) The final two years at WPL were the absolute best. It wasn’t until I got out into the world that I realized how safe I was at West Portal. I grew up across town, taking several buses to get to school. It was a lot, especially when it rained. But nothing was better than smelling the eucalyptus trees in the morning. It is a scent I still cherish to this day.
In those last two years, I met some incredible people. Much like the friendship of David and Jonathan, Efan Graddy and I met in sixth grade and have had a close brotherly relationship to this day. He will always be “my brother”. My history teacher, Mrs. Van Blarkum, kept me on my toes, Herr Jacob kept me at attention, Mr. Lewis kept me guessing, Mrs. Cordero kept me curious, Mr. Moore and Mr. Holt kept pushing me to give my best, and Ms. Bruggemann kept me thinking. It feels good to know that I had a village of people who genuinely cared for me as a person, and I didn’t realize how much I was loved at West Portal Lutheran until I went looking for that same love elsewhere.
In my early adult years, I discovered that the love I sought after graduating from WPL was the love of Christ. My most memorable time at West Portal Lutheran was my 8th grade year. It was a great time, yet challenging. I was not ready to leave. I had bonded with my classmates, and they all became like brothers and sisters to me. We won together, and we lost together, but we never lost our fight to keep going. The best field trip I ever went on was the 8th-grade trip to Old Sacramento. This would be the last time we would have together before graduating. We saw another side of Herr Jacob that helped us realize that he was an “ok dude”!
Today, I am happily married to Demetra, my wife of 21 years. We have two children, Douglas, 20, and Jonathan, 15. Demetra and I have been ordained ministers over the past ten years. The Lord has called us out onto the water as educators, equipping children and teens through our teaching ministry for 18 years. We began in 2004 with a culinary program that taught character development through culinary arts. We served students at our church at the time, Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland. In 2007, the Oakland Unified School District invited us to bring our program to their schools. We have provided programs to 8 different schools in the district. Today, my wife is the vice principal, and I am a social-emotional coach at Burckhalter Elementary School. We view education as a ministry and not a profession. We take our calling seriously because we have never failed to remember that “we were once the students we serve.” I do what I do now because this is what Jesus called me to, and He gave me an example, Mr. Morris.
I met Mr. Morris in 8th grade. I loved talking with him because I knew he understood me. He prepared me for high school, and his wisdom got me through it. His sense of humor left me in stitches. His grace for my stubbornness always brought the proper conviction and instruction to solve some of my biggest challenges. For example, throughout my 8th-grade year, I had problems in Mrs. Cordero’s algebra class. I wasn’t getting it. Mrs. Cordero said that I needed to ask more questions. I took my problem to Mr. Morris, and I appreciated the way he handled it because he always respected my parents. He did things in order. He would ask me, “What did your father and mother say, or “What did your godfather say?” He was the one who graciously said to me, “What makes you a big man on campus (BMOC) is that you know all the right questions to ask!” That encouragement helped me push a failing grade to a “B.” Today, my calling allows me to help children and teens know who they are in Christ Jesus and support them in discovering their purpose in life.
I sincerely appreciated that most of the staff, regardless of whether they were my teachers, made me feel like I belonged. I never felt like an outsider. I understood very early that not many African Americans were attending West Portal at that time, but those who did attend were fortunate to receive an excellent education. In kindergarten, I had Mrs. Finley’s class in the morning and Ms. Kay in the afternoon. So, I did a lot of schoolwork twice, but I recall doing several self-art pieces and appreciated that Ms. Kay took the time to make my template in my color complexion. Some students would ask why mine was a different color. She would reply by singing, “God makes all the beautiful colors of the world.” I appreciated that Ms. Kay saw God’s creation in me as beautiful.
West Portal Lutheran taught me to stand on a foundation of loyalty, integrity, and strength. My godfather, the late Ira D. Henderson, once a strong supporter of the Class of 1986, once said, “At any time, you must be able to answer at least two of these three questions, “Where have you come from, Why are you here and Where are you going?” West Portal Lutheran helped me in answering those questions. I pay it forward today, training and inspiring others to answer those same questions. I am a West Portal Lutheran Wildcat and will be for life! May the Lord bless and keep you all! (Numbers 6:24-26).
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