Mr. Quilty has been a part of the Berkshire Community for 26 years. He will be giving this year’s commencement speech to the graduating class and, in some ways, to himself, as he will be leaving the school to enjoy retirement after this year. He has shaped our community in many different ways, and through interviewing him, I gained insight into his life and journey at Berkshire.
I started by asking if he had always known he wanted to be a teacher. He responded, “No, I was inspired and considered it after working as a TA laboratory instructor for the introductory geology class my senior year of undergrad.” Originally, he was a business major, but he quickly noticed how he was more interested in the sciences. After receiving his public school teaching credentials, Mr. Quilty taught chemistry at a public school in California and coached several teams. He then moved to teach at a different boarding school, but after nine years there, he “was looking for a change and more opportunities” and landed here, under the Mountain.
He has played a vast number of roles at Berkshire, including teacher, dorm parent, coach, advisor, form dean, dean of students, assistant head of school, and associate head of school. His favorite is teaching, as he explained, “Whenever I walk into the classroom, I instantly get happy.” There was joy on his face as he talked about his teaching experience, and it was obvious that he has a passion for teaching.
However, he also enjoyed his other roles, such as the Dean of Students, as he “always tried to be proactive in helping students make good decisions and be understanding and empathetic when they struggled.” His teaching helped many of us to grow as students and as people.
When asked what his favorite tradition is at Berkshire, he said, “Of course, the winter carnival – but also graduation and the days leading up to it.” He explained, “It’s special and emotional for me to see the seniors reflect on their time here and the connections they have made. Teachers invest a lot of time and energy into our students, and it’s rewarding to see them finish their days here because they are ready to move on to new experiences and have earned it.”
Mr. Quilty is excited to start a new chapter in his life with more free time to spend with family, but he is sad about leaving “the students, the campus facilities, and the local community.” He realized that he would now experience his favorite tradition of graduation and the days leading up to it firsthand, as he was leaving the place where he had grown alongside the class of 2026.
