IRVING, Texas — MacArthur High School has been around 57 years and one woman has been around for almost all of them.
“She’s a legend,” said Laci Maestas, a former student and now a MacArthur art teacher.
“She’s the oldest person I know,” said sophomore Charisa Hongwises. “My grandmother is in her 70s, so it’s like, ‘Wow.’”
83-year-old Latin teacher Ann Price Ouzts—the kids just call her Miss Price—started at MacArthur in 1969.
This is her 57th year teaching overall and 50th at MacArthur and it's also her last.
She’s retiring in June. Although, she already tried to retire once and was back within two years.
“They needed me and I’ll never regret it,” Price said. “It was a wonderful decision.”
She says she first made the decision to be a teacher when she was just two years old.
“I would come home and teach my dolls everything I learned that day,” she said.
By the time she got to college, she noticed a lot of students in her history and English classes and knew the job market would soon be flooded with history and English teachers.
“I knew that I would never find a job,” Price said.
Because there were only a handful of students in her Latin class, she settled on her career path and has loved every minute since.
Over the years, a lot has changed, especially her hairstyles, a change evident by browsing the school’s yearbooks. However, Price says reaching students has always been the same.
“Relationships are everything,” Price said.
“I think her students are better for it to be able to get an opportunity to not just learn from her but to get an opportunity for her to pour into them,” said MacArthur principal Natasha Stewart.
The same way she poured in to one student who got sick, by having the entire class sign a get well soon card.
“She dropped it by the house,” said Jeff Tillerson, the student who received that card back in 1987.
“That’s the kind of person Miss Price is. She cares about her students and makes you feel wanted in her classroom.”
He’s now the second longest tenured teacher at MacArthur, 20 years behind Price.
He’ll be the old man on campus the day she retires, a day she is dreading.
“I just don’t want to quit,” Price said as she held back tears.
She clearly loves the job. Loves it so much, she’s already contemplating coming out of retirement. Again.
“Maybe if Miss Stewart, our principal wants to continue Latin, I might consider it,” said Price.
“We’ll welcome her to do whatever she wants to,” Stewart said. “Even if it’s to walk the hallways and prance around showing her cute outfit.”
That’s how you go out in style.