"There are no second acts in American life," wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald. But, then, Fitzgerald had never met John Spevak, who is indeed living a very fulfilling second act.</p><p>Spevak's life, in fact, has come full circle. After spending 16 years as Merced College's vice president of instruction, Spevak, whose column appears each week in the Los Banos Enterprise, is back in the classroom, doing what he loves best -- teaching.</p><p>"I've always considered myself to be a teacher at heart," he said. "That's why I related so well with my faculty. I respect the art and craft of teaching, and as a vice president, I looked to hire instructors who had the same passion for teaching that I did."</p><p>Spevak's teaching career began in 1970 after he had joined the U.S. Air Force to avoid being drafted as a ground-pounder during the Vietnam War. He had already earned his master's degree in English and had plans to pursue his doctorate, but Uncle Sam put a stop to that when student deferments were no longer available. He soon found himself stationed at Castle Air Force Base as a personnel specialist.</p><p>"I was blessed to go to Castle as opposed to some other places," he said.</p><p>With a regular 9 to 5 shift, Spevak had time to think about getting involved in other activities. He was introduced to former college administrator Ted McVey who promptly hired him to teach an English class for fellow airmen. He taught one semester, and when his Air Force career came to an end he began teaching at the Los Banos campus as a full-time instructor in 1971.</p><p>"I was really unfamiliar with community colleges," the Chicago native said. "I thought I would be working at a university or a small liberal arts college. But I soon fell in love with the college because I was working with people who were curious but who didn't have a background in literature. They were diamonds in the rough, so to speak."</p><p>Spevak has been polishing those rough diamonds since he retired from administrative work three years ago. He teaches basic reading classes at the Los Banos campus. His most enjoyable class, however, has been his "Writing Your Life Story" non-credit class. </p><p>"I thought it would be a fun course to teach," he said. "I taught it for two years before budget cuts ended the class."</p><p>But he didn't let the concept die and he soon found himself teaching the creative non-fiction class through the city of Los Banos. He's not getting paid, but that's the least of his concerns. He simply enjoys teaching and helping others tell the story of their lives.</p><p>"I'm a big believer that everyone should get at least part of their life's story on paper for the sake of their children and grandchildren. So often children want to know what life was like for their parents. I would've liked to have known what life was like for my grandparents in the old Czech Republic. We had some oral stories, but nothing was written down as a permanent record."</p><p>One of Spevak's students is one of his former bosses, Gene Vierra. Vierra, who represents the Westside on the college's board of trustees, is setting down the details of his 70-plus years for the benefit of his children and their children.</p><p>"I've been given the 'gospel according to John,' " Vierra said. "John told me that education is the road to equalization, and I can't think of anything more poignant than that.</p><p>"I've enjoyed his writing class and it's helped me a great deal in making sense of my own life. He's given me good tools to use to write my life's story."</p><p>Spevak practices what he preaches as well. For 28 years he has written a weekly column for the Los Banos Enterprise. His columns have earned him several awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.</p><p>"I'm lucky to have the freedom to write about whatever I want," he said. "I choose topics that I think will interest readers. My mind spits out all kind of ideas, which is both a curse and a blessing. But I'm writing about my life, life in Los Banos, and life in general. It's been a wonderful opportunity for me."</p><p>He says he doesn't miss his years as a college vice president. He's happy to be known simply as a good teacher. For him, it's one of the most honorable professions one can enjoy. He's content to write, teach and help others do the same.</p><p>And he'll be the first to tell you that the curtain doesn't have to fall after retirement. There is a second act waiting for all of us.</p><p>--Merced College Public Information Staff