For the last 25 years, Bud Garikes has been the heartbeat of the St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes Upper School community. To many alumni and faculty, a defining image of their years at this school is the sight of Mr. Garikes standing in the front lobby, blazer and tie (or bow tie if we are lucky), greeting every student and faculty member by name as they stroll through the front doors. Whether he was serving as the Director of the Upper School or teaching in the history department, this morning ritual set the tone for the entire community. It served as a daily reminder that SSSAS is a place where leadership thrives and is out among the people, not hiding behind closed doors. As he prepares to retire at the end of this school year, we must ready ourselves to say farewell to a man who, as friend and coworker Mr. Cortez said, “truly embodies the mission of pursuing goodness as well as knowledge.”
Mr. Garikes did not find himself following a “traditional path” to the classroom. Before arriving at SSSAS in 2001, he practiced law in both the private and public sectors for twenty years and worked on political campaigns. This professional background made him what many would call a “legendary” U.S. and Comparative Government teacher. Mr. Wenger, a longtime friend and English teacher at SSSAS, shared that Mr. Garikes is able to not just rely on teaching from the textbook, but is able to “provide firsthand stories of what it is to work in the government.” Mr. Wenger also noted that he flourished in conversational settings and many times used his personal experiences to help students open up to sharing their own perspectives.
(Rebecca Drobis)
To many current students at SSSAS, Mr. Garikes is best known for his time serving the history department. However, his impact as a leader was equally profound. He spent a decade as the Director of the Upper School, and during that time, he was best known for his incredible institutional memory and his heartfelt, and most notably unscripted, speeches for departing faculty. Ms. Sandoval, a colleague of Mr. Garikes in the history department, recalls that even for teachers who had only been at the school for a year or two, Mr. Garikes’ words were so incredibly sincere that they would bring people to tears. He always worked to mentor young teachers with what many described as a “rare blend of patience and confidence.” Sixteen years ago, he famously told a very nervous Ms. Sandoval when she took over the yearbook, “The only thing I need is for you to make sure they don’t burn the place down.”
On a more personal level, Mr. Garikes will always be remembered for his vibrant personality. His daughter Kerry, a SSSAS graduate, mentioned that she vividly recalls, “sitting in Dr. Brent’s English class and hearing his booming laugh bounce down the hall from the Bulletin Boards.” Mr. Cortez describes him as the “soul of the school,” and as a man who used his passions for politics and history (and Alabama football) as “material to connect with students and to talk with students about life and purpose.”
Beyond his role as a mentor for the greater student body, Mr. Garikes was also a constant fixture in the lives of his own children. Ryan and Kerry, both of whom are SSSAS alumni, clearly remembered their high school experience while their father was the director, recalling his consistent and supportive involvement in their personal and school lives. Ryan recalls his father’s dedication and advice to “just continue to show up day in and day out,” which now, as a father himself, he lives by. Ryan added that his father worked to attend every art night, sporting event, and even “mowed a soccer field on a Friday evening just so the kids could play the next morning.” Kerry remembers her father as a “cheerleader” for the community who consistently encouraged everyone at SSSAS to build each other up, rather than putting others down to get ahead.
Mr. Garikes’ very first days at SSSAS were marked by the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Ms. Hunt, a friend and coworker of Mr. Garikes in the history department, distinctly recalls standing in the gym with him as the news of the Pentagon reached the faculty. At this point in time, Mr. Garikes and Ms. Hunt were near-strangers. Regardless, Ms. Hunt remarked that “he just threw his arm around me and we just sat there dealing with this. His kids were on Capitol Hill, and he didn’t know what was going to happen; none of us did. We’ve always had that special bond.”
As he moves into retirement, Mr. Garikes plans to travel to Paris and Venice with his wife, spend time with his grandchildren, and, naturally, play some golf. As he puts it, “There’ll be some golf. I’ve been playing the game since I was 13. I’m still not good at it, but I’m going to keep on working at it.” When prompted with the question about what he wants his legacy to be at SSSAS, he answered, “I want my legacy to be that I was an optimist, that I brought positive energy, and that I alway
s tried to treat my students with respect, and my colleagues enjoyed seeing me walk in
the door every day.”
In the end, his impact is best captured by a quote Mr. Cortez often associates with him: “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted.” At SSSAS, nothing Bud Garikes has done was ever wasted. He has spent twenty-five years making people feel like they belong to this community, and as others will eventually fill his roles, the school will miss so very deeply the man who had the magic of making everyone feel special.
