Something unique came from many of the interviews yesterday with people affected by Otter Vilagomez’s leap from the Golden Gate Bridge Thursday. Vilagomez lived and reportedly made it to shore largely on his own strength.

Many of the folks that I talked to spoke at length about the humanities core community – the class of about 45 juniors and seniors who were on the field trip when Vilagomez made his leap.

“We spend three classes a day together,” said senior Cara Watts. “We are definitely the closest core on campus. We kind of learn to understand each other on a deeper level than most kids on a high school campus.”

Students mentioned the essays that teachers Michael Kaufman and Andrew Murdock have students pen at the beginning of the year. The topic? Largely the students themselves. They read about each other and learn about each other.

“We also do a lot of bonding activities and do games that help us get to know each other,” said senior Hailee Zastrow.

Hailee’s mom Michelle Zastrow was effusive in her praise of Kaufman and Murdock, saying her reaction would have been much more panicked had her daughter Hailee not been in their care when Vilagomez made his jump in front of his peers.

“The two teachers that were there are the two most incredible men you will ever meet, they love these kids like their own,” she said.

Michelle Zastrow said Hailee has hanging in her bedroom wall two massive sheets of butcher paper on which her humanities core classmates had written things they value about her.

“It hurts, but I feel like we become a stronger as a core today,” Watts said Thursday evening.

Michelle Zastrow said she has confidence the students in Windsor High’s humanities core will emerge from the events of Thursday strong, but not unchanged.

“Those kids are going to be forever changed,” Michelle Zastrow said. “I know I will.”

To read the full story of Vilagomez’s leap from the bridge Thursday, click here: http://bit.ly/gvE5dp