Excerpts from Dr. Gerger’s speech at Mike McAvin’s celebration of life.
Mike has been a member of not only our Costa family but also the MBUSD community since 2002. He grew up in Manhattan Beach and graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1983. He attended El Camino Community College before moving on to USC, where he received an undergraduate degree in English and a master’s degree in education.
Mike taught English, Journalism, Credit Recovery, Independent Study, and Home Hospital classes at Mira Costa over the years, impacting so many students during his tenure. He not only worked his teaching assignment, but worked every summer, after school and at times over the weekends in so many capacities. He was a force!
Mike reached so many families of students who struggled with coming to school for a number of reasons by helping set up plans for their success. When counselors would ask for help with a student needing Independent Study, credit recovery due to falling behind, or Home Hospital support because they could not come to school, he would say, “Please send them my way so that we can ease the minds of the parents and kids.” He was always proactive in supporting our students and staff. Mike is the reason many students who might have not graduated are graduates of Costa today.
Mike was also our beloved journalism advisor leading students to produce La Vista, our school newspaper, an award-winning program. A few years ago, Mike also became our school’s badminton coach working to build the team into the successful program it is today.
Mike lived and breathed Costa, making it a great place to be for students and staff over the years. I thought that I would share a few snippets with you. In August of my first year as principal, I received an email from the Culinary Arts Club president requesting to grill on campus coming off of COVID. I had many questions, the first of which was “Who is your club advisor?” “Mr. Mac.” he shared. I immediately barraged Mike with a ton of questions considering safety, protocols, and how this would all work. He shared they had barbecued many times on campus before and he was all for it. I eventually approved it and was later invited to come down to join them. Who would have thought that I would be eating filet mignon grilled outside of the journalism classroom during office hours one day?! And it was delicious!
When I came to Costa as a Vice Principal in 2015, I was introduced to staff trips planned by Mike himself. He would charter transportation, a bus, and we staff members would pile on to hang out together for a
planned evening to Dodger Stadium. Stops were made before and after to famous food locations in LA and it was always, should I say, a lively time! The camaraderie built during these trips was one that staff who attended and myself will never forget.
As advisor to La Vista, Mike worked with students to publish countless school newspapers over the last couple of decades. Whether advising students as they selected topics to cover, teaching them the etiquette of interviews, supporting them through last minute edits and late nights finalizing editions before print, Mike truly impacted the La Vista community of learners. His years as the La Vista advisor has left a legacy that will live on through many Costa journalism students.
I know that many of you have known him in a variety of ways; his connections run deep throughout our community, and so will the everlasting, positive impacts of his life.
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