Editor’s Note: Article originally published on March 18th, 2016. Despite his passing on April 14th, 2017, Mr. Bain will always be remembered for the mark he left on Miami High.

A proud alumnus of Miami Senior High, who came back to spend  30 years teaching and counseling, CAP Advisor, Mr. Bain, enjoys the thrill of seeing his students succeed academically and in general.

Mr. Bain is enjoying his time here at Miami High. “Even though it has its ups and downs like a marriage,” he jokes, “it has been positive overall.”

Miami High is the first and only school where he has worked. He started as an English teacher for 15 years, was a teaching magnet teacher for a year, was an Adult Education counselor for 3 years, was a test chairperson for 5 years, and has now been the College Assistance Program (CAP) counselor for 7 years and counting.

Making a difference in students’ lives and seeing them succeed are the reasons he became the CAP counselor of Miami High.  “English teachers are interested in people’s stories which made it easy for me to transition to a CAP counselor,” he says.

Being a CAP counselor gets him excited and gives him chills sometimes knowing that students have their life planned out already. “Learning new things about the students that I already know and having new students trust me in the process are why I enjoy doing what I do,” he said.

There are many students that are clueless about the whole college process but think they’re ready for college. “Most students get their advice from fellow students or older friends and siblings, but CAP counselors are able to look at each case and each decision objectively and provide guidance based on life experience, which peers don’t usually have,” says Mr. Bain.

CAP counselors’ main responsibilities are, “Providing basic information that kids need in the college application process, financial process, and decision making process,” he says

Mr. Bain fell in love with Miami High when he was a student back in 1975 because of its architecture. Throughout the years, Miami High has changed dramatically. “MHS used to be a place that was slower— to avoid the heat— air conditioning was rare, and entertainment happened face to face,” he says.

Remembering his high school years, he describes himself as a silly teenager who loved to go to football games and eat pizza. He also loved riding his bike to the beach. His favorite classes were history, English, and math, which he enjoyed until his college professor made it difficult for him.

Before coming to Miami Senior High, he had many other jobs, including at McDonald’s; a salesperson at Sears, B. Dalton Bookstore, Design Store in Coral Gables; and a teller at a federal bank. He would rather stay at Miami High rather than going back to any of those jobs. “Unless they’re part-time and have the benefits of traveling,” he says.

When he was younger, he said he was initially going to study psychology until he heard that animals being experimented on, which he did not like, and decided to change his career goal.
George Bain was born in Miami, in September, and was raised here throughout his life. His father was from Colombia and his mother from Cuba.

After graduating from Miami Senior High, Mr. Bain graduated from Florida State University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in Humanities. While at FSU he also studied abroad in Florence, Italy. He then went to New York University to study English Education and graduated in 1992. He also did two semesters in Oxford, England.

Mr. Bain isn’t married, but he has cats and wants a dog. He has a sister, who is a pharmacist, and 3 nephews. “Brilliant and handsome like their uncle,” he says.

In his free-time, he likes to watch documentaries on history, to study genealogy (family history), to visit new places and travel, and to attend writing workshops because he has a thing for poetry.

His 2016 expectations are to plan for eventual retirement and continue to work with students to extend his legacy while being at Miami High.