By: Kate J '32
Ms. Rivera teaches 6th grade science here at Berkeley Preparatory School. Her first language was Spanish, and she enjoys traveling around the world. Because her dad was a doctor, she enjoyed learning about science and wanted to go to medical school.
After she took an inspiring student-teacher internship, Ms. Rivera decided to become a teacher. She fell in love with teaching when she was working at a K-12 charter school in Tallahassee. Eventually, Ms. Rivera continued her career in education at a different private school. Since she went to Corbett Prep for middle school, she wanted to work at a similar private school. Ms. Cardona, her old teacher, referred her to Berkeley, and Ms. Rivera came here to teach.
From the start of her job at Berkeley, Ms. Rivera has loved the friendliness and positivity around campus. “The kids are extremely respectful, and my coworkers are very friendly,” says Ms. Rivera. “I love teaching science because it’s always so nice to see the students get excited and engaged when doing experiments.”
Currently, Ms. Rivera resides in Tampa, Florida. Her favorite book is Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” because the young children in the story have a big impact on their father. She also enjoys traveling and has a pet chiweenie named Bindi, which is a mix between a chihuahua and a wiener dog.
Ms. Rivera is an amazing teacher, and the Berkeley community is very fortunate to have her here! If you ever have the opportunity to meet her in person, these are the most important things you should know about her!