When you see Mr. Tornillo in the hallway, you’d think he’s a P.E. teacher due to his buff body. However, not only is he physically buff, but he is also a history buff. Mr. Tornillo, or T as some students call him, is a World History teacher at MHS.

Childhood

Mr. Tornillo was born in the city of Miami and went to multiple schools during his childhood. He attended Oakgrove Elementary, Hibiscus Elementary, Southside Elementary, Ada Merritt Junior High and Shenandoah Junior High.

Not too many people know this, but Mr. Tornillo is a Miami High alumnus who graduated from here in 1984 and participated in many school activities. For the first two years, he was on the swim team and was part of Interact and Historical Honors Society. Not only was he in clubs and sports, he also participated in SGA as a Vice President his senior year. Participating in these extracurricular activities provided his most memorable moments while in high school.

After he graduated from the high, he attended Florida State University where he majored in political science and minored in history.

Career

As a young adult, Mr. Tornillo aspired to work in the field of political science and become a government official. However, he was persuaded by one of his friends to try teaching. He started working at the High in 1989 as a World History teacher.

Even though teaching wasn’t his first choice as a job, he still enjoys working with students and doesn’t think he’ll get a different job unless it’s financially better. Not only is he a teacher, but he’s also the coach for the water polo and swim teams of Miami High and a referee for water polo games mainly on the weekends when his team doesn’t have practice.

Coach

As soon as Mr. Tornillo started working here, he began coaching the swim team. A few years later, he formed the water polo team because he thought that would be a good way to keep his swimmers in the water all year-round.

Throughout the years, Mr. Tornillo’s teams have won lots of titles, such as District and Regional Champion from 2010-2013, and many more back in the old days. Even though he has all these wins under his belt, he says, “I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. There’s no reason for me to stop. I love coaching.”

Mr. Tornillo encourages all students to try out for the water polo and swim teams. He says, “It’s a way for many students to develop healthy qualities such as leadership and discipline while making new friends.” If anyone is interested, he urges them to pass by room 1304.

Future Plans

Though the time hasn’t come, Mr. Tornillo is going to retire in about 10 years. He thinks he won’t retire when he hits the age of 65, but if he must, then he will. When he retires, he plans to keep exercising and stay in the sport of water polo by officiating games. “Or I’ll find a way to keep working in a small job somewhere to make sure I won’t get bored,” he said.

He also wants to spend more time with his mom and go with friends up to Tallahassee during spring break and summer break.