“And now I’m crying…Thank you for being the embodiment of infinite possibilities.”
A teacher can alter the course of someone’s life and never get a chance to see the results. Ron Clark is one of those life-changing teachers. In fact, many people may already be familiar with him from the 2006 movie The Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry.
Clark is still using his gifts to educate students in the classroom and entertain adults on social media. Recently, the founder of the Ron Clark Academy shared a heartwarming update about his former student, Alizè Garcia. In a video posted to Instagram, Clark recounted the story of taking Garcia and her classmates to South Africa.
“After my students and I raised money to go to South Africa, where we had the surprising encounter with Nelson Mandela, we come back home and I get a phone call from Alizè,” Clark said.
It turns out the then-teen shared her excitement about her experience in South Africa with her friends. Instead of being content with Clark simply mailing her photos, Garcia had bigger dreams. She wanted to find a way to return to Africa with her friends. Clark encouraged her to fundraise for the trip and provided $500 in seed money.
She raised the rest of the money and took her classmates to Uganda, but that’s not where the story ends. Garcia is now an adult. The original trip took place before social media and smartphones, but years later, Garcia found Clark.
The Ron Clark Academy is a nonprofit that requires a lot of fundraising to stay open. Clark received a call from Nike saying the company’s director of social and community impact wanted to send a team to the school.
“I’m like, ‘say less, come on,’” Clark shared. “We roll out the red carpet. We give a tour of the school. All the members of Nike, they watch us teach in our classes. They meet all the kids. Then we sit down to have lunch, and the Zoom comes up with the new director of social and community impact for Nike, and I hear, ‘Heeeey Mr. Claaark.’”
It was his former student Alizè Garcia. Clark was shocked to see her familiar face pop onto the computer screen.
He explained, “She said, ‘You took me to South Africa. It changed my life. You showed me what it means to give back, to open yourself up to the world. You then sent me $500 so I could take students.’ She said, ‘I’ve been working in philanthropy and giving back ever since, and now I’ve worked my way up.’”
Since that encounter, the pair has worked together to host STEM camps for kids in Atlanta. He shared how proud he is of her, and his video made his former student emotional.
Garcia wrote in the video’s comments:
“And now I’m crying. That trip to Uganda was so special because we did it on our own. Truly, this is the least I can do. You poured your heart into us and made sure we understood the importance of dreaming big—and being relentless about going after those dreams. I believed you because I watched you do it for yourself. Thank you for being the embodiment of infinite possibilities.”
Others were also moved by the story, with one person saying, “I love these types of full circle moments with former students. It’s like a pat on the back for being a great teacher.”
Another shared, “These stories are what make education worth it. I can only hope that as a school counselor i make a positive lasting impression on at least one student. This story had my phone getting blurry. Such a full circle moment. Congrats to Alizé and you.”
“YOURE GONNA MAKE ME CRY! What a beautiful full circle moment!!!!” someone else wrote.
“I’m usually laughing out loud for your posts, but this one had me in full on tears,” a fellow teacher shared. “As a retired elementary music teacher, I always hope my students are out making a positive mark in the world and achieving their dreams. Congratulations to her and to you, her beloved teacher!!”
