Ms. Diane Salvetti, a long-time teacher at Abington High School, is retiring this Friday after 26 years of service at AHS.

Salvetti has been teaching for a total of 34 years. She started at the Woodward School for Girls in Quincy, where she taught for 8 years before making the move to AHS. As she put it, “Teaching has been my life.”

Salvetti grew up in Marshfield and graduated from Marshfield High School. She then went on to Quinnipiac College (now known as Quinnipiac University) where she earned a degree in Biology.

When asked why she wanted to become a teacher, Salvetti said, “You know I never thought about it when I was in high school, or even college, I love science… After I got out of college, I tried a couple of different jobs and I wasn’t happy and I’m like ‘I love science’ and that’s when I decided I’ll go back to school and get my teaching certification…” Salvetti felt that she had so much valuable knowledge that she wanted to share with high school students.

During Salvetti’s time at AHS she taught multiple classes. She has taught Biology, Physical Science, Environmental Science, Anatomy and Physiology, and one year of AP Biology. Salvetti remarked, “I have taught everything except for Chemistry and Physics.”

Salvetti’s career at AHS started when she had an interview only two weeks before school started. The assistant principal at the time was the same one that had been at Duxbury High School where Salvetti did her student teaching. Salvetti explained, “So it was two weeks before school, I interviewed, and I was in, and I know I picked the right spot because I’ve been here for 26 years.”

Some of Salvetti’s favorite times here at AHS include when she was the freshman class advisor during her first year, a junior lock-in where students stayed at school overnight, and chaperoning proms and field trips.

She summed it up simply, “There’s too many great times I’ve had here.”

When asked what Salvetti will miss most about AHS, she said that she will miss Ms. Doherty greatly and that they have taught together for 26 years. Salvetti hopes that Ms. Doherty “will be coming along pretty soon after me.”

When it comes down to it, the thing Salvetti will miss the most will be teaching and interacting with kids and sharing her love of science. She added, “I love being a mentor and being here for kids, I just really love my job, and I will miss that.”

When asked for any advice that she might have for students, Salvetti remarked, “As you go through your life, all kinds of things happen, whether they are good things or bad things, I think the thing is to be surrounded by people you love, family and friends.”

Salvetti reminds students to share the good experiences of their life with others, but to also try to learn the lessons from the mistakes. “Sometimes we think that we can’t handle things and we get really discouraged and upset, you just have to keep your head high, and work through it.”

Her parting advice was, “Keep true to yourself and believe in science.”

After retirement, Salvetti plans to spend more quality time with family and friends, spend more time in her garden, and hang out more with her bird, Max.