Once students graduate, some of them cannot imagine ever coming back to Gables, let alone becoming a teacher at the school. When Mr. Blackmon left Gables in 1969, he couldn’t wait to come back in the future to teach. Mr. Blackmon had always wanted to be a teacher, and he loved every minute as a student at Gables, so he knew exactly where he wanted to teach.

“I used to fantasize as a student that nothing could be better than teaching history at Gables. I suppose I should have chosen a more ambitious fantasy,” Blackmon said.

Mr. Blackmon has been a very dedicated and widely renowned teacher ever since he began teaching here in 1977. Mr. Blackmon had a wonderful high school experience and has some of his favorite teachers to thank for that.

“My most influential teachers were Dr. Black in English, Frau Käthe Wilson in German [who was] literally the best German teacher in the nation, Geoff Rosinek in Government, and, of course, legendary coach Nick Kotys. They helped shape my intellect and my character,” Blackmon said.

The Gables that Mr. Blackmon knew is not the same Gables we know today. For instance, Gables was made up of grades 10-12 and the class of 1969 had 960 students, which made things very crowded. Another huge difference was that the class of 1968 was the first integrated class here at Gables. This can be hard to believe due to our current student body’s diversity.

Thanks to Mr. Blackmon’s amazing high school experience, we have one of the most dedicated and talented teachers in our school. We should all learn to enjoy our time in high school like Mr. Blackmon did when he was our age, and maybe someday we will find our true calling in life.