Groton alum thankful for his education

As many reflect on things they are thankful for at this time of year, Groton High School (GHS) Class of 2007 graduate Phil Esparza reached out to me with a heartfelt desire to express his appreciation for the way a class he took in his senior year “absolutely changed the course of my life!”

Esparza was a good student, earning his Advanced Regents diploma from GHS, yet he found himself in his final year of high school with no idea of what path he wanted to take for his future career.

“I enjoyed making my own money early on,” Esparza said. “I worked part time in various retail stores since I was 16 and saved up enough money to buy my own car. My parents taught me a valuable lesson: if I wanted nice things, I had to work for them.”

Even with such a solid work ethic to guide him, Esparza still didn’t know what he could, or even should, do with that, until his guidance counselor suggested that he take an elective course called Tech Prep, taught by Babs Carr.

“The course was very informative about the different career options and college paths available,” Esparza explained. “We traveled to different colleges and had guest speakers from various backgrounds, practiced interviewing, how to complete job applications and many other skills that aided us in finding our path to the professional world.”

Since then, that course is still being offered, but it has evolved to what today’s GHS students know as College and Career Prep, taught by Michael Holl.

Back when Esparza took the course, it was sponsored by the Dryden Mutual Insurance Company and part of the course of study included learning about the insurance business. Esparza’s first real introduction to insurance was a part time job he took at Dryden Mutual, the company that sponsored the class that changed his life.

“Dryden Mutual was where it all began,” Esparza said. “I was fascinated by the many different positions available in the insurance world that require employees with very diverse sets of skills. In other words, there’s a job for anyone in insurance. I knew it would be impossible for me to not find a home in this career.”

From then on, Esparza obtained his property and casualty agent’s license in early 2010. By October of that year, he was employed at David Mooney State Farm Agency in Ithaca and had obtained his life, accidental and health agent’s license that December.

“Before I knew it, I was writing insurance policies for just about everything — homeowners, automobile[s], boats, businesses, life, disability, bonds, workers comp, and the list goes on!” he said.

Over the course of the next 10 years, Esparza had expanded his talent to include training new employees, generating new business and growth, settling disputes and misunderstandings, advising major clients and managing the office.

While Esparza fully enjoyed his position at the agency, he really wanted to diversify to be able to help clients to have access to more than just one company’s products. As a result, Esparza began a new chapter in his career in September of this year at Andrews Agency in Ithaca as the personal lines manager.

“Andrews is an independent agency that has the ability to write insurance policies for many different insurance companies that gives me access to practically an unlimited amount of products, which expands the types of clients I am now able to help tremendously,” Esparza said. “A large part of my success is the time I spend educating and guiding my clients through the very complex world of insurance. The insurance agent you choose to protect your family and dreams should be a friend that you trust that is going to take the time to counsel you.”

Esparza is very appreciative of the career he believes would never have been possible without the course he took in high school or the teacher who taught it.

“Babs Carr was very influential and an awesome teacher,” Esparza said. “She is the type of teacher who sees promise in every single one of her students.”

Esparza will be forever grateful for the promise Carr saw in him. In addition, he is very grateful for his family and the life he lives in Groton.

Esparza married another 2007 GHS graduate, Kayla (Hays) Esparza, in July 2013, five years after they’d started dating. They purchased their home in Groton in 2014 and added their son, Westin, to the family in May 2021. Kayla is a teacher at Groton Elementary School.

“To our family, a home is where you surround yourself by family and friends that work together, look out for each other and grow with one another,” Phil said. “It’s an easy decision to stay put so that the next generation is gifted with a sense of home and community.”

Phil and Kayla come from families that have resided in Groton for three and four generations before them.

“Now, we have the opportunity to contribute and improve the community,” Phil said. “A community has a living heartbeat, and it connects us all. We have to remember that, regardless of background, color, race and political beliefs. We are very blessed to be rooted in the Groton community with so many family members and friends.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at (607) 227-4922.  

In brief: 
 
Capital project public hearing 

There will be a public information meeting and presentation on Groton Central School District’s proposed capital project at 6 p.m. Nov. 29 in the District Office, 400 Peru Rd.

The project will address necessary infrastructure upgrades, upgrades to athletic facilities and the conversion of some space in the elementary school into an open plan science lab space, similar in concept to the STEAM Learning Center in the high school building. All this is with zero impact on the tax levy due to a combination of state funding and the district’s capital reserve fund.

Voting on the project will take place from noon to 9 p.m. Dec. 7 in the district office. Eligible voters are all those who are 18 years of age or older and reside within the Groton Central School District boundaries. Voters do not need to own property to be eligible.

Food scraps recycling available 

The Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management, in partnership with the town of Groton, operates a food-scraps recycling drop spot at the Town Clerk’s office, 101 Conger Blvd. The drop spot, staffed by an attendant, is open every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m.

The program accepts all food scraps — including meat, bones and dairy products — as well as food-soiled paper towels and napkins. Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags are also accepted. Free toolkits, including kitchen caddies and transport containers, are available for participants.

The material collected is delivered to Cayuga Compost in Trumansburg, where it’s processed into compost and sold as a soil amendment.

Cops, Kids and Toys 

Doug’s Trash Removal is collecting new, unwrapped toys for Cops, Kids and Toys. Please drop off toy donations to the toy bucket at their office, 105 W. South St., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. They will collect the box around the first week of December.