Vida Horn, an exceptional AFS Volunteer, passed away on November 28, 2018. We had the privilege of bringing AFS to Seaside High School during the 1980s, where Vida was not only a Spanish teacher, but the spark, mentor, and AFS Club Advisor who opened up the world to many AFS host families and students. Sometimes, her AFS Club would have as many as 100 students attending their meetings and functions.
I think that excerpts from this letter written by Mike Gonzales, a former student at Seaside High School, AFS Returnee to Spain, and current Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy Katmundu, Nepal, best describe Vida:
“I write to you today not only as the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Nepal, but also as the grieving pupil of a tremendous educator, an impassioned internationalist, and a massively impactful influence in my life. Here in the foothills of the Himalayas, I have just learned of Vida’s passing from a cohort of Seaside High School students from around the world who join me in their grief stemming from our collective loss, but also in celebration of a truly beautiful soul who lived well and contributed meaningfully to the richness of each of our own lives.
To say that Vida impacted me deeply would be an understatement. In fact, she played perhaps the most fundamentally foundational role in opening the world to me and setting me on the professional and life path that I have pursued since I first met her at age 13. Vida was worldly and wise. From drilling her students on verb conjugations, to showing us the ‘Don Quixote’ movie annually, to christening me ‘Miguelito, como del de Mafalda’ – the moniker that I carry with me among my classmates still decades later – Vida brought the Spanish language to life for us and ensured that we understood just how truly interconnected we all are.
Above all, however, it was Vida’s personal investment in AFS and linking our community at Seaside High School to the world that had the most profound and lasting impact on my life. She personally guided me through applying for the program and fully supported me as I ventured off to Madrid at age 15 to commence what would become a life-long wanderlust, which ultimately turned into my life as an American diplomat. Through this chosen path, I have ventured each day to do what Vida so manifestly did for all of us: bring people together to explore what we share, celebrate our diversity, realize just how small this world of ours is, and find ways to work together to support peace and happiness.
The impact that Vida has left on this world set an incredible standard. Were each of us to make such an impact, could you imagine what the world would be like?”
Sincerely,
Gordon and Marian Clemens