Mario Dinatti is a day student from Rome, Ga., who has attended Darlington School since his freshman year of high school. He is a Tiger Expert and a member of Moser House. He is the younger brother of sister Adriana ('12).
How long have you been at Darlington? What brought you here?
My freshman year of high school was my first year at Darlington, which was four years ago in 2011. I came to Darlington because my previous school, Saint Mary’s Catholic School, taught only up to eighth grade. Also, my sister Adriana, who was a senior during my freshman year, was having a great experience at Darlington.
What are some of your favorite aspects of Darlington?
One of my favorite aspects of Darlington is its Community because you easily get to know and become friends with almost everyone at the School, especially the teachers. Another of my favorite aspects of Darlington is its rigorous curriculum, which will definitely help me be prepared for college. The school social events, such as RUMPUS, are also one of my favorite aspects of Darlington because they’re always fun, entertaining and a great way to bring the entire Upper School together.
How have you enjoyed your senior year? Is there any advice you would like to extend to the Class of 2016?
Although my senior year has been academically challenging for me, I have enjoyed it mainly because I realized that I should focus on enjoying the small amount of time that I will have with my friends and teachers before I graduate. My advice to the Class of 2016 is don’t fall prey to Senioritis and enjoy as much time as possible with your friends at Darlington before you graduate and leave for college.
Which teacher has made the greatest impact on you as a student?
Mr. Schmidt has made the greatest impact on me as a student because, as my adviser and history teacher during my freshman and sophomore years, he taught how I should manage my school life, how I should prepare for college, and much more. Mr. Schmidt’s Ancient World History Honors and AP World History classes were two of my favorite classes at Darlington, and I always enjoyed and learned so much from every single class that he taught.
What would you consider to be the greatest impact that Darlington has had on you? How do you foresee that affecting you as a college student in the future?
The greatest impact Darlington has had on me is preparing me for college at the Georgia Institute of Technology and my future career in nuclear engineering. I know that all of the classes that I have taken at Darlington will help me in college because all of the teachers at Darlington are such amazing teachers.
Most of all, Mrs. Dodd’s AP Chemistry and Intro to Organic Chemistry classes have had the greatest impact on me because Mrs. Dodd made me really enjoy, love and become passionate about chemistry and science. This might affect me as a college student in the future because I will probably become just as passionate about my future science classes.
