RIP Yola Walker by Anthony Andujar jr. 2/7/16

 Assistant Principal Yola Walker was the Professor X to my youth. She was a voice of reason to a lot of my fellow friends and classmates from American Sign Language 47 elementary, middle school and high school. I entered the  47 in 2003 as a 3rd grader and graduated from the high school section in 2013. I've seen the school in it's many changes, but one thing was always constant and tat was Yola Walker. Metaphorically 47 was the X mansion  for deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people. WIth her presence it was a place of foundation, and a place of understanding. She was definitely a guiding hand to a lot of us and especially to me. She emphasized heavily on the family aspect even though I wasn't so big on it. But she convinced me regardless. When she retired from the school, it was a bit empty without her. There was no one at the school that had the level of understanding, patience, charisma, care, and investment in their community like her. She always spoke with assurance and a calm demeanor that made you feel as though you were understood regardless of age, or time placement.  

   I would remember walking by her office and seeing so many newspaper clippings of articles about the school which showcased how proud she was of the school, the students and her job. Believe me when i confess that when she laid down the rules with strength, you'd think how could a gentle soul have such a strong ironfist?!? Yola Walker had the ability to communicate to every race, culture and creed that walked the halls of 47. Any student who was ever around her learned something from her, and were given the gift of knowledge whenever they left her office. I could go into detail about the table with the red table cloth and gold embroidery at the edges where students would sit whenever Yola would give a lecture. I could talk about the amount of times students who were misbehaving, or seeking advisement would always sit on the black couch next to the door way across the hall from the school library. I remember how often Yola would have the whole school in the auditorium, and she would give a whole talk about how important it was for the school and its students to be united as a unit. She was a living textbook of history that you knew was a rare sight. Obviously every student or co worker of varying professions can attest that it was a privilege to be among her presence, to be able to look into her eyes, and keep those memories as a shared exclusiveness that can't be explained unless one was to experience it themselves.  

   To wake up and hear about someone you know who had a critical impact to a large sum of your life is hard to comprehend. Rest in peace. I hope you find the sort of Unity that you always instilled in your students. You always had a strong sense of optimism and duty amongst the teachers ,staff, faculty and students both deaf, hard of hearing and hearing. Its crazy, because I never knew what it meant to be a renaissance man let alone the term itself had it not been for you. You nurtured my art in the same way that you nurtured everyone else's path's and aspirations. Death is almost as hard to comprehend as life itself, its just crazy. I remember when I made this piece for her back in 2009/2010 when she retired. I was in my freshman year of high school when this piece was made for her. There is a memorial service for Yola Walker will be held on Thursday, February 11, at the Schomburg Center, 515 Malcom X Blvd. at 5:00 p.m.