Granite Hills High School has seen countless students circulate through the halls over the years.
As time flies by, many of those students graduate, and some of them even come back to their old school.
One graduate and current teacher whose hard work, success, and dedication extend beyond their time as a student goes back to 2016. To this day, 10 years later, his athletic and educational career remains present on our campus. This exceptional Grizzly’s name is mentioned inside our classrooms and out on the basketball court.
2016 graduate Esteban Lopez reflects a story of achievement and inspiration nearly a decade later. Returning not only as a former student turned coach, supervisor, etc., but also as an educator, Lopez’s journey to success resonates with the lives and aspirations of the students at Granite Hills High School.
In 2023, the opportunity arose to teach English at Granite Hills, although at the time, he was a teacher at Strathmore High School. Lopez’s return to Granite Hills was long anticipated from the time he was a student; the young athlete always knew he would return, becoming the role model he once looked up to.
During his time as a student, athletic director, and coach, Bud Luther was one of the many staff members whom Lopez looked up to. From the time Lopez was a part of the Granite Hills boys basketball team, to now, coaching alongside Luther.
“It’s always great seeing your students become successful and pass down knowledge to the next generation,” Luther said. “Lopez is involved in growing our school, filling the shoes of a great mentor for students to look up to. Lopez is somebody the kids can lean on and communicate with, doing whatever he can to help them; they feel comfortable around him.”
Needless to say, coach Luther has witnessed first-hand Lopez giving back to Granite Hills students.
Today, Lopez’s admiration for coach Luther is reflected in his relationship with the Granite Hills boys basketball team. Since he began coaching in 2023, he’s seen the players grow and prosper on and off the basketball court – especially Granite Hills class of 2026 players.
“I’ve been in their high school careers with them since they were sophomores,” Lopez said. “I’ve been there every step of the way.”
In the past two years, two students have stood out to Lopez. These students are Abraham Gonzalez and Cruz Campos, both being recognized for outstanding performance on and off the court.
“Lopez taught me how to be a better student and develop good habits,” Gonzalez said. “He’s someone who believed in me when I was basically nothing.”
“Coach Lopez has always pushed us during practice to be the best we can possibly be,” Campos added.
Evidently, Lopez has encountered hurdles in balancing educating and coaching. Whether it means coming home exhausted after a long day of teaching and coaching, with little time for himself, Lopez enjoys the grind in his routine.
One quote that’s helped Lopez’s perspective since the time he was a student in college came from Maya Angelou: “Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.”
Similarly, this quote mirrors how he has been able to keep his spirit up throughout every stage in his life. Now more than ever, this is important because of the countless students who see him as a role model in their lives.
“Since I graduated from Granite Hills, I know what some of these students go through and the challenges they’re facing,” Lopez said.
Granite Hills helped shape who Lopez became, and he continues to use those lessons as a role model for his current students.
“When I see my students or players excelling, it makes every compromise and sacrifice worth it,” he said.
