Margherite Dadiego, MS Science Teacher
All roads lead to the science classroom

Laura Martinez, Staff Writer

 

“A lot of things that have happened in my life have been by chance; some have been put in my path when I needed them most.”

Middle School Science Teacher Margherite Dadiego’s science journey almost seems predestined.

As an eighth-grader yearning to leave her New York City Catholic school, Margherite was accepted into a top public high school known for excellence in math and science. There, Margherite met two female biology teachers who accomplished what none of her previous teachers had done; they made science challenging yet accessible. 

At Barnard College, Margherite began on a pre-med track. However, she quickly discovered that her aspirations lay elsewhere. When the allure of medicine faded, research didn't capture her interest either. That’s when the universe sent her a sign—and quite literally.

“I was walking up the stairs and saw a sign on the wall that said I could get a minor degree in education,” she said. “I had no intention of ever being a teacher, but I figured if I didn’t want to pursue a graduate degree right after college, it would give me something to do in the meantime.”

With a BA in psychology and biology and an education minor, Margherite began teaching abroad. Returning to New York, she discovered that the Master's in elementary science education program she had intended to enroll in had been discontinued. This unexpected turn of events forced her to choose between a new path in curriculum development or a shift to secondary science education.

 

“I had no interest in middle school or high school, but I went in that direction because I wanted to get my master’s in science education,” she said. “And then I fell in love with it; it was almost as if some force was guiding me in this direction.”

Margherite earned her MA in secondary science education from Columbia University Teachers College and returned overseas to teach science in Israel, the Philippines, Syria, Morocco, Japan, Thailand, China, the Czech Republic, and now Brazil. In her classroom, Margherite encourages students to pursue their aspirations without limitations.

“I want my students to find something that brings them pleasure and passion and makes them feel like they are contributing to whatever they choose to do in the future,” she said.
 

Margherite’s advice for future women in science:

Go for it. Don’t let anyone discourage you along the way. No matter how challenging and difficult it is, don’t give up. I used to do a project at the beginning of the year, where I gave the instructions: draw a scientist at work. And almost every scientist was male with wacky hair. I noticed over the years that it did change, and once in a while, there would be a Jane Goodall or somebody like that. I want girls to see themselves as scientists versus seeing an Albert Einstein meme when we say, “What’s a scientist?”

 


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