La Colina Junior High School invites former students, parents, staff, and community friends to a ceremony honoring the life and legacy of longtime principal David L. Ortiz, who passed away in late March.

Ortiz served as the dedicated principal of La Colina from 1997-2019, leaving a lasting impact on generations of families.

To honor his 22 years of visionary leadership and deep devotion to the school, the campus will announce plans to name its central stage in his memory. 

The ceremony honoring Ortiz will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 at the beginning of La Colina’s annual Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony will include the announcement of the planned dedication of the Palm Stage and the presentation of the first-ever David L. Ortiz Leadership Award to a current eighth-grade student. 

“David Ortiz loved La Colina Junior High to his very core,” said Principal Jennifer Foster. “This stage was one of his favorite places because from here, he could see what he had worked so hard to nurture: a thriving school community filled with possibility.

“From this day forward, every student who steps onto this stage, every family who gathers before it, and every celebration held beneath these palms will stand in the presence of his legacy,” Foster said.

During his more than two decades at the helm, Ortiz was known for his hands-on leadership, whether he was connecting with students at lunchtime, personally maintaining the campus’s beauty on weekends, or building an extraordinary staff.

The stage was one of his favorite places on campus, where he regularly celebrated eighth-grade graduates and hosted historic milestones, including the unveiling of the school’s 1959 time capsule.

The upcoming ceremony is open to the public. Former students, families, and community members are encouraged to attend to celebrate a leader who taught that excellence lives in the smallest details and that schools are strongest when built on heart, organizers said.