What does it take to turn around a school whose reputation has been tarnished for decades? At John Muir High School, perseverance, care, culture, and commitment transformed negative public perception into pride, showing that the right people and the right vision can rewrite a community’s story. Alfredo Resendiz was born and raised in the Altadena/Pasadena area. He attended Muir HS in Pasadena before matriculating at San Jose State University and Cal State Los Angeles. He has worked in the Pasadena Unified School District since 2002 as an English teacher and athletic director at Muir HS. Alfredo is the father of two young men, Nico & Ely, also graduates of Muir HS, and stepfather to Mia, who attends Field Elementary in Pasadena.Alfredo has worked tirelessly in his 'Dena community for almost 30 years. Aside from his teaching profession, he has helped his community as a volunteer baseball/football coach, tutor, community organizer, mentor, and overall 'Dena cheerleader. He has worked for or volunteered for the following: Pasadena Unified School District, Villa-Parke Community Center, West Altadena Little League, Pasadena Panthers, Central Altadena Little League, Pasadena Central Little League, YMCA, City of Pasadena, Altadena Library (main branch), Frostig School, among others.After taking the Cool Beans Comedy class at the Ice House in Pasadena in 2024, Alfredo has started a new chapter as a standup comedian. He has performed all over Southern California and hopes to one day tour the country.Today, his TEDxPasadena speech will focus on his alma mater and current place of employment, Muir HS, to discuss the school's perseverance and rise from a tarnished public perception to an amazing academic institution. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx