High school to honor three with facility dedications
Paso Robles High School will hold a facilities dedication ceremony on April 25.
Dedication event to be held at the high school Thursday
– The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) will hold a ceremony for the renaming of Paso Robles High School (PRHS) facilities dedicated to three influential community members on April 25. The campus will be dedicated to former principal Greig Welch, the track to former coach Ivan Huff, and the boy’s physical education facility to former teacher and coach Tim Alvord. The event will be held at the Paso Robles High School Performing Arts Center from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is open for all to attend.
“Paso Robles schools and the naming facilities committee are recognizing individuals who have been successful and dedicated in teaching the youth of today. It’s a humbling experience to first receive the honor and then to see your plaque forever displayed on campus for long after you’re gone is an indescribable feeling. The individuals receiving these honors do what they do because they love kids,” said Welch, who was the PRHS principal for eight years.
Along with his role as principal, Welch served as the athletic director and coach for multiple PRHS athletics, such as track, football and baseball. He has held the roles of PRHS assistant principal and Flamson Middle School principal. Welch was also the Director of Student Services and Assistant Superintendent of Personnel at the Paso Robles Joint Unified District, later retiring in 2011.
After graduating from PRHS in 1968, Welch attended Cuesta College, California State University Chico, and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), where he received a Masters in Administration. He has taught at schools in Sacramento, as well as Liberty Continuation High School and PRHS in subjects such as physical education and social studies.
“My favorite memory is having a vision and setting goals and working with staff to accomplish what we set out to do. Just as importantly, watching the students succeed and preparing themselves for life, and also helping those students who struggle and work hard to overcome any challenges,” said Welch, adding that “I’ve been a Bearcat as long as I can remember and one of my proudest moments has been watching my children and all my grandchildren become Bearcats and graduation from my alma mater…along this journey I’ve met some wonderful people and have made many life-long friends.”
Former PRHS principal Greig Welch.
Huff graduated from PRHS in 1977 and set several records during his time as a student, including in the mile and two mile events, while earning seven varsity letters in track and cross country. His career coaching both cross country and track and field at PRHS spanned over thirty years; he was inducted into the Bearcat Hall of Fame in 1996 and the RaceSLO Hall of Fame in 2019.
“He has changed the lives of hundreds of Paso Robles athletes. He has coached multiple generations of Bearcats and has done so with dignity and a commitment to excellence that is unparalleled,” reads a statement from the PRJUSD.
Before his time coaching at PRHS, Huff attended Alan Hancock College and Cal Poly; he competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984, 1988 and 1992 for the steeplechase, an event in which he was ranked 10th in the world.
Former cross country and track and field coach Ivan Huff, pictured cleaning the track after a 2017 storm.
Alvord taught a number of subjects at PRHS for close to 30 years, including social studies, psychology and physical education; he also coached football, baseball, and girls basketball before retiring in 2008. Favorite memories include pep rallies, connecting with faculty and students, and victories on the sports field. Physical education is an important topic for Alvord, as he says that “I was trained as an advocate for ‘education through movement’ and fiercely believe in the place of physical education in the academic, emotional, physical well-being of all students,” adding that “I believe that place is undervalued, if not directly under attack, and am urging all those with an interest in the academic and physical well being of students of all ages to insist that education through the movement not disappear.”
Alvord notes that “I want the community to know how humbled and appreciative I am for the recognition this symbolizes…I also want people to know and understand the valued gift of being part of a community whose culture and heritage is so strongly woven into the fabric of its schools. It is a strength not found in many other places and sets Paso Robles apart. Being a Bearcat is very different than being a Greyhound or an Eagle or a Tiger. Every school [and] community is proud of who they are, but the difference in being a Bearcat is tangible and [a] strength we should never lose.” In May of 2021, Alvord was honored as Roblan of the Month.
Former teacher and coach Tim Alvord.
“I would encourage students, staff and the community while on our campus to please stop and read the plaques. There are some remarkable people being honored,” Welch said.
