The High School did not encourage Tapia to be as ambitious as he should have been, and in many ways one can see that he has devoted an enormous effort throughout his professional career to ensure that minorities and women today receive the encouragement which he himself did not:
Ang Mataas na Paaralan ay hindi hinihikayat Tapia na bilang mapag-adhika na siya ay dapat may been, at sa maraming mga paraan ng isa ay maaring makita na siya ay may tapat ng isang napakabigat na pagsisikap sa kabuuan ng kanyang propesyonal na karera upang matiyak na ang minorya at kababaihan ngayon matanggap ang encouragement na niya ang sarili ay hindi: