The SPUHS Ag Academy, of which Sepulveda was the director, was founded four years ago; a collaborative of educators, universities and over 70 local agribusiness mentors, the 22 Class of 2001 graduates were collectively accepted to 66 universities and earned over $500,000 in scholarship awards, another amazing achievement. The program received a state Golden Bell Award.During his career, Sepulveda taught biology, zoology, marine biology, physical science and horticulture to over 6,000 students; his students hold a county record for the number of first first place awards at the annual Ventura County Science Fair. The athletic Sepulveda also coached the girl’s volleyball team during the 1980s - twice CIF Champions - and amassed a stellar 110-10 win-loss record.Sepulveda went beyond the classroom for the students, teaching them individual responsibility, teamwork and giving back to the community; in the classroom he was committed to ensuring that students would pursue their dreams and strive for excellence in all they do, and always believe anything was possible. He coached them for tests, lovingly bullied them to apply themselves and apply to college, helped with the paperwork and fought for grants that would improve the education of SPUHS students.His close friend Rodney Fernandez, who had presented Sepulveda with the Latino Town Hall award, said he was a “lover of life, a man of compassion, a visionary, a leader, a father, a friend, a fisherman, a hunter and a boudy.”At Eagle Rock High School, Sepulveda excelled at baseball and basketball and started on the Varsity for two years; his athletic abilities led him to volleyball in college - UCSB, where he graduated with a Masters Degree in Marine Biology - he was first and foremost a family man, said Fernandez.A resident of Santa Paula since 1968, Sepulveda was also an avocado rancher.Predeceased by his father, Libero Sepulveda, Ray is survived by his wife, Catherine, also a SPUHS educator who worked closely with him in the Ag Academy, daughter Rena, son Tony, mother Tina Sepulveda, sister Helen (Arlen) Bell, other family, friends and generations of students.The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Ray Sepulveda Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o 537 Glade Drive, Santa Paula, CA 93060.
Memorial service Saturday for acclaimed SPUHS educator Ray Sepulveda
August 24, 2001
Santa Paula News
A special memorial service will be held Saturday for educator Ray Sepulveda, at Santa Paula Union High School, where he inspired generations of students.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesA special memorial service will be held Saturday for educator Ray Sepulveda, at Santa Paula Union High School, where he inspired generations of students.Sepulveda, 55, died suddenly on Aug. 19, 2001 in Talkeetna, Alaska, during a fishing holiday.The memorial service, hosted by fellow teachers and close friends Eddie Arguelles and John Merrill, will be held at the SPUHS Center Court on Aug. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m.Director of the nationally recognized Santa Paula Union High School Agricultural Academy, Sepulveda was always a leader, said Arguelles, from “teacher’s union president to the forefront and cutting edge of education; Ray had the forte of vision,” and determination to follow through on same. “It’s a tragic and tremendous loss for his family, school and community. Ray will be missed daily for many years to come.”Sepulveda, whose parents immigrated from Italy and settled in Los Angeles, where he was raised, was honored earlier this month by Latino Town Hall with the Education Award recognizing his accomplishments during his 33-year career at SPUHS.Sepulveda’s strong belief in the students of Santa Paula led him to become a leader in the elimination of SPUHS’s so-called “standard” track of education; through exhaustive research he was able to convince, with others, that the key to demonstratively improving student test scores and improving college acceptance was through the implementation of “heterogeneous” grouping, said Arguelles. Arguing that low achieving students need models of success and that the only way to accomplish same was by combining multiple levels of learners together in the same classroom - with the same expectations - was an idea that was “publicly volatile. . .Ray never wavered from speaking in support of this revolutionary change,” that has produced “staggering results,” Arguelles noted.The Class of 2001 produced a record number of four-year college and university students, scholarships and grants.Time magazine highlighted the SPUHS effort and quoted Sepulveda on the positive changes.
