Having had the honor of being Michael Pavlis’s English teacher 20 years ago when he was in seventh grade, this Mission Moment is especially meaningful for me. Already then, Mike was no ordinary person. The way he engaged with the books we read, strove to be a better writer, and honored his peers stood out as remarkably different from the typical middle schooler from the first month of school to the last. It was only toward the end of the year when I read a paper he wrote for our WWII Memoirs unit that I fully understood the source of his inspiration and motivation. His love and respect for his grandfather and namesake, Michael J. Daly, sparked something far deeper than a desire to reach his own potential or please his parents. Mike was determined to be worthy of his grandfather’s name and legacy—no small feat when your grandfather was a WWII Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

In “A Cause Greater Than Self,” a portrait of Mike’s grandfather, Stephen Ochs shares how Daly found his life’s deepest purpose, both during and after the war, in selfless service to others. A young Mike Pavlis was already searching for that cause when he was 12 years old. He found it when he first began volunteering with the Horizons GFA summer program. His mom Deirdre Daly credits the “positive, supportive Horizons environment that nurtures children who deserve greater opportunities” as the magnet that drew Mike in. Whatever it was, from that very first summer, Mike was hooked. “Horizons introduced him to the world of teaching in a profound way,” Deirdre notes. “He found his place there and never looked back.”
“Mike is the epitome of the kind of educator that makes Horizons what it is—a phenomenal teacher, leader, advocate, and most importantly, a genuine person…it seems like [students] all know who he is, even if they didn’t have him as a teacher, because that’s the energy he brings to the table. I learned so much from him as an educator.”
— Cyn Torres, Horizons GFA Teacher & Social Worker
Although his grandfather’s courage and service to others, particularly those in need, influenced him greatly, those who know Mike best are quick to point out that he has always had a deep sense of caring and commitment to helping others. Mike’s dedication to his own education made clear that he never took his opportunities for granted. But even more, he was committed to ensuring that others got the opportunities and support they deserved, and that they developed the confidence to know they were capable of achieving great things if they worked for them.
“Michael loved so much about Horizons from the early days: the swimming, the graduations, being outside, getting to know the students and their families, the structure and warm support of the program,” Deirdre continues. “There’s no question that Horizons not only introduced him to the world of teaching but also trained him to the practical realities of teaching.” Guided by Horizons teachers and directors who inspired and encouraged him, he learned how to reach students with different abilities, giving them respect and support to be the people they were striving to be.

Horizons also planted the seeds for Mike’s commitment to working for equity and justice in education. Per our Horizons GFA website, “The gap in educational outcomes between Bridgeport and neighboring communities persists, with the zip code a child is born into often dictating life trajectory.” Mike understood the ramifications of the gap between Horizons GFA and its partner schools in Bridgeport even as a young volunteer. As he grew older, he stepped into new roles in the summer program, from paid intern to assistant teacher to head teacher. In each, he demonstrated Horizons’ commitment to “develop strong academic, social and emotional skills, habits of mind and the resilience to succeed in school and pursue a meaningful, choice-filled life.”
Although he was accepted to the University of Michigan (his first choice) his senior year, one of the reasons he declined their offer was because it would mean missing a summer at Horizons. He decided on Boston College instead and (ever focused and determined) completed his undergraduate degree in three years. His first year out, he was an assistant history teacher at Achievement First in Bridgeport; from there he moved to the UnCommon Schools charter network in Brooklyn, where he earned a Master of Arts in Teaching. He has remained in this network since then, teaching U.S. history to eighth graders and coaching both boys and girls in multiple sports, including track, cross country, basketball, and football.
Mike has always had tremendous interest in the Civil Rights movement and great admiration for Civil Rights leaders from MLK and Nelson Mandela to John Lewis and Bryan Stevenson. Since 2017, he created and led his students on a Civil Rights trip each spring in Alabama. The annual trip includes a visit to the Equal Justice Initiative’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, a walk over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, stops relating to MLK’s early and later days in Atlanta, and visits to black-owned establishments. There is a lot of preparation for the trip, including fundraising and required educational activities—not only for Mike, but for every student who participates in the program. He developed the program (now named BK2BAMA) and the curriculum himself, but the seeds for this program can easily be traced back to Mike’s experience at Horizons.
Mike’s career has focused on reaching large classes of older students during the school year. But for the last 20 years—every single summer—he has taught second through fifth graders at Horizons! His decision to return year after year epitomizes the dedication to “being there for the kids” that Horizons embodies and serves as inspiration for countless others.
What kind of teacher is Mr. Mike? For that, I turned to some of his former students. HongAn Nguyen shares: “Throughout my childhood, Mr. Mike has been a figure of stability and happiness. In my summer days, he was the big friendly giant, and beyond that, he’s the ear that listens and the hand that’s always uplifting.” Thomas Donnelly, who also had Mike in second grade, adds, “He is one of the most genuine people I know, and he truly does mirror that in everything he does. Everyone has a story for that guy, and I believe that is what makes Mr. Mike such an integral part of the Horizons community.”

He is one of the most genuine people I know, and he truly does mirror that in everything he does. Everyone has a story for that guy, and I believe that is what makes Mr. Mike such an integral part of the Horizons community.”
— Thomas Donnelly, Horizons GFA Student and High School Senior
Many of his students couldn’t fully comprehend his passion and devotion until they were older, often when they had the chance to work with him as teaching assistants or volunteers. HongAn continues, “Even after I graduated from the summer program, he made sure to keep in touch and congratulate me on any special milestones I achieved. From my birthday to attending college, he embodies the support behind the Horizons family. While I wasn’t able to appreciate his wisdom and humor as a second grader, seeing him in his element and working alongside him last summer was refreshing and nostalgic.”
George Kocadag also highlighted Mike’s commitment to honoring students well beyond the summer program. “Mike Pavlis, or Mr. Mike to me, is someone I see as more than just a teacher. Mr. Mike would go out of his way to come to my cross country meets in Connecticut even though he lives in Brooklyn,” he notes. “This just exemplifies his character and who he is as a person.”
“He goes beyond the classroom,” Horizons parent Diana Builes affirms. “He is an active presence in their lives and families. In my case, I loved that he took time out of his personal life to support my daughter in a school play. He also constantly let me know the things that made my daughters amazing beyond academics.” Clearly, he gets real joy from maintaining connections and seeing his students grow and thrive—whether it’s watching a former student play football for Villanova and tailgating with his family, helping students sort out important decisions, or watching them receive an award.

Without being a parent, Mike intuitively understands what parents need most. Nalda Levy explains it this way: “The hardest part of being a parent of kids this age is being less and less connected to what exactly is happening with them when they are away from you. I truly appreciated Mr. Mike as Zachary’s teacher because he always made the effort to reach out and let us know whenever anything of note happened in class, especially when it was positive. It always made my day hearing from him, because it made me feel included and involved in the day-to-day goings on at Horizons, which is absolutely invaluable to me!”
Finally, Mike is loved and appreciated by his fellow teachers, who also benefit from his listening ear and uplifting hand. Cyn Torres, who taught with Mike when she first started working with Horizons, describes him as “the epitome of the kind of educator that makes Horizons what it is—a phenomenal teacher, leader, advocate, and most importantly, a genuine person.” Reiterating the many traits that make all of the kids love him, she adds, “it seems like they all know who he is even if they didn’t have him as a teacher because that’s the energy he brings to the table. I learned so much from him as an educator.”
These threads—empathy and service, deep learning, and lifelong connection and commitment—are woven throughout Mike’s 20-year relationship with Horizons. In an age of checked boxes and one-offs, he shows up, again and again, not only teaching in the summer program but also making valuable contributions as a member of the Horizons Board, Parent Advisory Committee, and Advisory Council. As Jose Oromi (past HGFA Executive Director and current Vice President at Horizons National) acknowledges, “No one is more dedicated than Mike—from never letting anything interfere with his summer Horizons commitment, to helping so many students navigate college and life after Horizons, to coming back for 20 years, his commitment is unmatched.”
“He goes beyond the classroom…He is an active presence in their lives and families. In my case, I loved that he took time out of his personal life to support my daughter in a school play. He also constantly let me know the things that made my daughters amazing beyond academics.”
— Diana Builes, Horizons GFA Parent and Board Member
“No one is more dedicated than Mike—from never letting anything interfere with his summer Horizons commitment, to helping so many students navigate college and life after Horizons, to coming back for 20 years, his commitment is unmatched.”
— Jose Oromi, Vice President at Horizons National & past HGFA Executive Director
And so, it’s fitting that we honor Mike with this year’s HGFA Excellence in Teaching award for his two decades of service and the deep, life-changing imprint he has made on the more than 300 students he’s taught, making them better students and better people. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks from this old teacher and all who’ve had the honor of working with you over the years.
