Diane Sarkarati

What do your students call you?

They usually call me Saki once they get to know me. It's easier than Sarkarati and nobody spells that right anyway.

What made you want to work at Flintridge Sacred Heart?

A friend whose son was on the same sports team as mine told me there was an opening for a biology teacher at Flintridge Sacred Heart. I said I wasn't interested, but she insisted that I needed to see the school before saying no. Once I came up here, I liked the feeling of being up high and, on foggy days, in the clouds.

What has been your proudest professional accomplishment?

Developing the forensic science course at Flintridge Sacred Heart

What has been your favorite teaching moment at Flintridge Sacred Heart?

There is not one favorite moment, but I hope my students will like science and eventually get excited about science. When former students come back to visit and they have become doctors, dentists and scientists, I am happy that their love for science was nurtured at our school and they were inspired to pursue science as a career.

What most excites you about your work here on the Hill?

It's great to share ideas and learn together with many of my colleagues. We have become friends and are really a family here.

What is Flintridge Sacred Heart's best kept secret?

There is always food somewhere, so no one goes hungry.

What do you love about the all-girls environment at Flintridge Sacred Heart?

The girls are free to be themselves without worrying about fashion and hair styles. They can focus all their attention on academics. Flintridge Sacred Heart is a place where they can make good friends that they keep for life.

What's your favorite spot on campus?

Anywhere you can see the mountains

When not in the classroom/office, where can you be found?

Sometimes in the library, sometimes in the faculty cottage

What's your favorite place in the world?

Anywhere in nature: the forest, the mountains, the desert

What are you surprisingly good at?

Catching animals that are in a classroom or outside on campus and need to be relocated

Who has made the biggest impact on your life?

My husband, Ali, a kind and generous man and a mathematical whiz

What book, movie, work of art, piece of music, etc. can you not imagine life without?

I love mysteries. I can't pick out one favorite though.

What did you want to be when you grew up (at age 12)?

A detective or a veterinarian

What do you want to be when you grow up (now)?

A detective AND a veterinarian

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