LEGACY: Loyalty Keeps Families Black and Gold
While most students’ experiences at Peninsula are short-lived, there are a number of families who have created family legacies. The Babeks, the McFarlands and the Colins are all families with a long history on this campus. With each generation, these families continue to leave behind impressions through sports, academics and teaching.
The Babeks have attended Peninsula for a 13 consecutive years and have greatly impacted the basketball team. Senior Mickey Babek and sophomore George Babek are currently the only Babeks at Peninsula. Prior to attending the school, both boys were exposed to Peninsula because of their older siblings’
active participation on campus.
“[Watching my siblings] attend Peninsula and play in their games gave me the mindset that Peninsula was the best school [for me],” George said.
Similar to the Babeks, the McFarlands also have a long history at Peninsula. Carol Fox, mother of senior Michael and sophomore Jenna McFarland, was the first of the McFarlands to go to Peninsula in 1984.
As the last children in the McFarlands family to attend Peninsula, senior Michael McFarland and sophomore Jenna McFarland will leave their marks on the campus with strong academic and athletic performances.
Michael believes that his hard work and dedication to the public education system is the legacy he will leave behind at Peninsula. He is on the state board of education and is a member of the board of directors for the PTA. Michael is also the governmental affairs program director for the California Association of Student Councils.
“I love the campus, the faculty and the school as a whole,” Michael said. “It has provided us with an exceptional educational experience.”
The Colin family has been a part of the Peninsula community for almost half a century. Advanced Placement (AP) Literature teacher Bruce Colin and his siblings graduated from Peninsula, formerly known as Rolling Hills High School. The Colin family has greatly contributed to Peninsula’s community through Bruce’s many years teaching English and also through his brother-in-law Kelly Johnson’s service as the principal for 20 years.
“We can’t think of any disadvantages [of attending Peninsula],” Bruce said. “The benefit is that it continues to be a great place for us to work and our children to go to school.”
While the Colins have managed to leave a lasting impression at Peninsula, this school has also cultivated relationships between members of the family. Bruce met his wife, counselor Pat Colin, on campus over 25 years ago.
“My mantra to support my children during school has always been to work hard and also to have fun,” counselor Pat Colin said. “Peninsula is a wonderful school to work for and Bruce and I are grateful to be a part of it.”
The eldest child, Grant, graduated in 2014 and the second oldest, Dane, is a senior. The youngest son, Ethan, is a freshman, and while new to the school, Ethan has his older brothers to guide him through his high school experience.
“Having older siblings is helpful because as I made the transition to high school, they told me about my new teachers and reassured me, which definitely made things easier,” Ethan said.
All the Babeks, McFarlands and Colins wish to promote their family legacy during their time in high school. Since the majority of each family attended Peninsula, they all understand and help one another with difficulties at school.
“We have really developed a strong, [tight-knit] community on the hill because our whole family has attended Peninsula,” Michael said. “[Our legacy] has provided a special experience that prepared me to be successful in life.”
