My Somebody by Willie Kocurek “Willie, you’re going to the University of Texas.” These were Dr. Leigh Peck’s words to me on July 20, 1929, a day I’ll never forget. I had graduated as Valedictorian from Caldwell High School, and while education was a priority in my family, my options were limited. Daddy’s farm had failed and college was just out of the question. My family didn’t have a dime in the pot. I was going to work. I had to go to work. But Dr. Peck wouldn’t hear of it. She knew of my family’s financial situation, but also knew if I didn’t go to college, I’d probably end up behind a plow. Dr. Peck understood the toll farming exacted on a person and instilled in all her students the drive to excel. Her influence did not end in the classroom and she constantly went above and beyond her duty as a teacher. She saw something in me. I didn’t know what to expect leaving Dime Box that hot morning as we bounced along in her Model T Ford, but Dr. Peck did, or she acted as if she did, and I took comfort in knowing she had never steered me wrong before. She showed me Austin, got me situated with the University, and introduced me to people who helped me find a job so I could cover my expenses, a job that lead to the first business I ever owned. Dr. Peck was true to her word. In everyone’s life, a path must be chosen. If you’re lucky, someone you respect guides you in the right direction. Dr. Peck was that someone for me. When I look back on my life, Dr. Peck was a part of almost every good thing that happened to me. She had a knack for knowing what was right for me even before I did. She put me in the way of possibility. And a person can’t ask for anything more than that. [back to top]