In an effort to get to know a new member of the Berkshire community, I sat down with Diana Fiori, a Spanish teacher who joined us this fall, and asked her about herself and her life as a teacher here at Berkshire.

Green and Gray: Can you briefly describe your background?

Señora Fiori: I was born in Peru, South America, and I came here when I was eleven. I moved to Providence, Rhode Island and then went to college in Rhode Island and got my Masters. I taught at the college level for about twelve years. I was pursuing a PhD at UMass Amherst and that’s how I came to Western Massachusetts. I started working for a private school in Greenfield, Stoneleigh-Burnham, an all-girls boarding school. That’s how I became very interested in private school. It was very satisfying to be around kids that were driven, liked to learn, and liked languages. After five years of being there, it was time to move on and that’s why I came to Berkshire.

G&G: Do you have any children or pets?

DF: I don’t have pets but I have two beautiful daughters. My oldest is eleven and my youngest is two. It’s a big age gap but they get along with each other really well.

G&G: What are your favorite hobbies/interests?

DF: Spending time with my family and travelling. Before my second daughter was born, I did some travelling with students. We went to Peru and Machu Picchu, that was pretty exciting. We saw llamas! I love road trips, they’re fun when you get to know new places. I love going to new places and speaking different languages.

G&G: What inspired you to work as a Spanish teacher here at Berkshire?

DF: My love for language, of course. It’s the culture and native tone, but I’ve also learned a lot through my students. Watching students learn a second or third language is very rewarding to me because I understand the value of being bilingual or sometimes polylingual. Looking forward, it’s only been a couple of months but I feel like there is so much to learn from my students here.

G&G: What would you say your values are regarding education?

DF: I think education is such a privilege and having a good education in the United States opens so many doors. Personally, as a human being, it helps you to grow and think. It is very important and I value it because of my background. I know how hard it was to achieve an education, which is probably why I value it a lot in my life.

G&G: How has Covid-19 affected your personal life and your life as a teacher?

DF: Well, as you know it is not easy. We are all dealing with this but I think we are all in it together. As long as we all collaborate and make the best out of this, that is the only way to go about this. Everyone is pitching in and we are trying to learn new ways to bridge this gap, innovate as much as we can, and reach our students in one way or another.

G&G: Is there any advice you would like to give to students at Berkshire?

DF: I think being flexible, being understanding of each other and the people around you. We can’t go as fast as we would in a regular year. Also, be good to yourself, take care of yourself, and always ask for help.