Michael Rinaldi, Spanish teacher and former Language Department Head, will retire this coming June after thirty-one years here at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Born in the small town of Pontelandolfo, Italy, Mr. Rinaldi grew up speaking Neapolitan, and then learned the national language of Tuscan as he went to school. After immigrating to New Haven when he was eleven years old, he learned English. At the end of his freshmen year at the University of Connecticut, he decided to become a Spanish teacher after taking his first course in the language. Mr. Rinaldi majored for four years in Spanish and minored in Italian. “I thought about going into Chemistry or Engineering,” he laughed, “Because my father thought it was a good idea. But I really enjoyed studying other languages and other literature, so I decided at that point I wanted to teach.”

Mr. Rinaldi, who was drafted during the Vietnam War, also learned Vietnamese while being trained as an army interrogator. While pursuing his doctorate, he learned how to read French and Portuguese. “I know most of the romance languages,” he said.

After teaching for four years as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Connecticut, Mr. Rinaldi then taught at the Kent School, where he headed the Spanish section. After spending five years there, he moved on to Choate upon receiving an offer from an old colleague at a professional meeting. “I liked where I was, but I knew of Choate’s reputation and its unique term abroad program, so I decided to take the offer and come over here,” he explained.

Having taught for a full forty years, Mr. Rinaldi described another motivation to teach. “Growing up in my small town, my teachers to me were my eyes to the world. There was no television, and there was no radio, so all the information I got about the world was from my teachers.”

At Choate, Mr. Rinaldi currently teaches Spanish and Italian. The Italian program, now its in 29th year at Choate, is one that he introduced. While not participating in the Spain summer programs, he taught English as a second language at the Choate Summer Programs. Mr. Rinaldi has also coached Girls Varsity Basketball, Girls JV Soccer, and spent a number of years coaching recreational cycling, a long time hobby. An advisee to day students all his years here, he has also done some adjunct advising within the dorms.

“I love music of all kinds, especially folk music, in any language,” said Mr. Rinaldi. “I impose my folk music on my students, and I have for many, many years…they all walk away with a collection of songs. In fact, this alumni weekend some of my former students came back and still remember all the songs.”

As Chair of the Language Department in the 1980s, Mr. Rinaldi spearheaded the movement to establish what is now known as the International Language Center (ILC). “It was a place for students to extend their contact with language outside the classroom, as computers were just starting to appear.” In fact, Mr. Rinaldi was one of the first on campus to own a personal computer, an Apple 2E.

“The atmosphere of Choate has only changed slightly since I first got here,” he said. “Students are mostly the same. However, the computer age has changed the way we do things around here. There are obvious advantages to that, but I think it’s depersonalized us a little bit…before we had more time to sit with colleagues and students face to face and have conversations, and now we just email each other. I like technology, and it was an inevitable change, but sometimes I miss how it was before.” Asked about his retirement, Mr. Rinaldi commented that he is looking forward to an “unscheduled day. I just want to enjoy looking after my five granddaughters, taking some walks with my wife, doing some travelling, [and] reading some books that I haven’t had time to read.”

“I’ve had and will remember many wonderful students here, as well as dear colleagues. I will miss life here, as it is a wonderful place and community. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” As Mr. Rinaldi will continue to live in Wallingford, he plans to come back to campus time again to see old friends.

“When your former students become your colleagues, and you’re teaching the children of your former students, it’s a clear indicator that you probably should move on. So I’m moving on and making room for a lot of bright young minds,” he ended with a laugh.