Carl Balado loved quotes as much as he loved sports. It’s no surprise that one of his favorite proverbs came from Babe Ruth: “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” Looking back on Balado’s life, these words describe him perfectly.
Balado, a longtime faculty of school psychology in UCF’s College of Education (now the College of Community Innovation and Education), died recently at the age of 86. He retired as a tenured professor in 2007 after nearly four decades of teaching and practicing psychology, having left a tremendous impact on thousands of people — students, mentees, colleagues, friends and family.
Balado’s long and accomplished journey started in his native Cuba. As a gifted young student, he entered the University of Havana to pursue a degree in law and public administration. His daughter, Magali Skeldon, says he was driven into law by the same motive that fueled him all his life — serving others.
“My father wanted to become an attorney so he could help people,” Skeldon says. “He was always looking for ways to be of service.”
Balado’s education was briefly interrupted when the university closed during Fidel Castro’s revolution. Balado then transferred to the former St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic University in Havana, where his talent in baseball attracted scouts for major-league U.S. teams and earned him an invitation to try out for the Washington Senators.
The tryout never happened. As one of many students who opposed Castro’s regime, Balado found himself in danger when his name appeared on a list of the Cuban government’s targets. With his father’s help, he obtained a one-way ticket to Florida and arrived in the United States in October 1960 to embark on a new future.
Soon after landing in the U.S., Balado enlisted in a CIA-sponsored mission to liberate Cuba and trained as a paratrooper at Florida’s Homestead Air Force Base. This mission — known today as the Bay of Pigs Invasion — ultimately fell through, and Balado was not deployed. Released from military duty, he began dating Magali Garriga-Rosado, a fellow student from St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic University who also had immigrated to Florida with her family. They married in 1961 and had two daughters — Skeldon and her sister, Kristie.
After so many major life changes, Balado was determined to resume his education. His academic credits from Cuba did not transfer to the U.S. due to differing laws, but he was undeterred. Eager to start his career, Balado pivoted from legal studies to an entirely different focus: educational psychology.
“Taking advantage of an academic exchange program and fulfilling his yearning for a future of positive impact, my father entered the field of education,” Skeldon says.
Balado graduated from Indiana State University in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He taught Spanish at Edgewood Junior-Senior High School in Merritt Island, Florida while taking weekend courses at Stetson University, earning his master’s degree in psychology and counseling. He continued serving the Brevard County school district as a counselor at Kennedy Middle School while commuting to postgraduate courses at Florida Atlantic University on weekends, ultimately graduating with his Ph.D. in psychology and counselor education in 1984. Four years later, he became a full-time professor at UCF.
As a professor, Balado mentored thousands of students, many of whom have since become successful school psychologists and counselors. Skeldon says he cared deeply about them and often counseled them through their own personal endeavors.
“He cared for his students as if they were his own children,” Skeldon says. “When I shared news of his passing, I received an outpour of messages from his former students about how he helped them — not only at the university and professional level, but how he influenced them to be leaders in their communities. It’s awestriking to think about how the thousands of lives he touched have gone out into the world and touched thousands of other lives.”
Joshua Lutz ’01EdS, one of these former students, says Balado was a critical influence on him as both a student and a school psychologist.
“Dr. Balado encouraged me to never accept the status quo, to be an agent of change,” Lutz says. “His advice has helped me to stay focused throughout my career, leading to my current role as an assistant superintendent of schools. His lessons will live on for decades.”
During his time at UCF, Balado joined the Florida Association of School Psychologists, an organization that advances the profession of school psychology by advocating for the mental health of children and families. Skeldon says he also felt strongly about the importance of collaboration in school and work.
“He believed that colleagues, mentors and mentees should support one another, because learning from others is how we grow and maximize the impact on young lives,” Skeldon says.
Balado was a source of unwavering support and guidance to many, offering advice and encouragement to colleagues, friends and scholars throughout his life. However, Skeldon recounts his most powerful message as one that echoes the spirit of Babe Ruth: Don’t give up.
“When you want to accomplish something, you have to be persistent,” Skeldon says. “There are always obstacles, and things may not come exactly when you want. If you just keep at it, things could turn out even better than you imagined. That’s the greatest lesson my father’s legacy left us.”
Grant Hayes, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education, calls Balado an extraordinary mentor and friend whose commitment to service and education inspired countless students and colleagues.
“As we reflect on the remarkable life of Carl Balado, we celebrate not only his profound contributions to the field of school psychology but also the unwavering spirit he embodied throughout his journey,” Hayes says. “Carl’s legacy will continue to resonate within our community, reminding us all to never give up on the pursuit of excellence and compassion.”
