Longtime Costa Mesa resident John Carpenter, who is retiring this year after 38 years as both a teacher and coach at Estancia High School, was the recipient of the Mayor’s Award at the Tuesday May 17 City Council meeting.

“Tonight, we are honored to have long-time Costa Mesa resident John Carpenter here to receive the Mayor’s Award,” Mayor Steve Mensinger said. “John has touched the lives of many throughout this community, especially youth through his work as a teacher and coach at Estancia High School.”

Carpenter move to Costa Mesa from El Paso Texas when he was 10 and attended Sonora Elementary, Davis Jr High, Costa Mesa High School and Orange Coast College.

In high school he was an All-American swimmer and a starter on the OCC National Champion Water Polo Team in 1972. In 1985, he was named Newport Beach Lifeguard of the year.

At Estancia, Carpenter spent his career both as the school’s water polo and swim coach and also as a biology teacher, serving as the Science Department Chair.

“I’d like to thank Mayor Steve Mensinger for this outstanding and humbling honor, I am deeply touched by it,” Carpenter said. “I’d also like to thank the City Council for all you do. I can’t believe 38 years have gone by, it’s been the most wonderful time in my life and it’s going to be harder to leave it.”