By ALLEY COWGILL
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
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Maybe it’s not about the happy ending. Maybe it’s about the story. Sylvia Torres had quite the story to tell. She dedicated 26 years of her life to Port Isabel High School faculty, staff and students.
Port Isabel High School Principal Dr. William Roach spoke admiringly of Torres. “She was here in the early morning hours running with the girls for track and cross country and she was here till the late hours with the Spanish club.”
Torres taught Spanish, Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish, was the girls track and cross country coordinator and advisor to the Spanish club. Roach said, “She had a remarkable way of connecting with the students. Her AP Spanish class consistently had the highest passage rate of all the AP exams, pretty close to 90 percent of her students passed.”
Torres’ kind heart, passion and understanding allowed her students to create resilient connections with her. Former student, cross-country and track participant, Catherine Farrell spoke with a heavy heart. “Sylvia Torres was more than a coach to me, she was a role model and a best friend. Her determination and faith was like no other,” Farrell said, adding that Torres was one of the most positive influences she had met. “She pushed me harder than anyone ever cared to. She never let me quit on myself and believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. … She made such an impact on my life — it will remain with me forever. I don’t think she knew how much she influenced me; without her I may have never known my true potential,” she said.
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