BEYOND ST. MICHAEL’S SCHOOL – An extraordinary path that began at St. Michael’s School
HEIDE (DIENER) ABELLI ’80
Heide attended St. Michael’s School from 1978–1980 and has remained connected to the community through her continued generosity. Most recently, she established an endowment to help fund the STEM program at St. Michael’s, ensuring future students have the resources to explore and innovate.
She is the proud mother of two children—Carlo (27) and Alessandra (25)—who both live in New York City, a place she visits often. Today, she resides in Barrington, Rhode Island, just south of Providence, where she enjoys the coastal beauty and the convenience of walking to the beach from her home.
Q: Where has life taken you since St. Michael’s?
A: After SMS, I went to University High School, then Wellesley College in Massachusetts, and spent my junior year taking courses at MIT. After working for a few years, I attended Harvard Business School. Since then, I’ve had a long and rewarding career in Educational Technology, and for ten years I was also on the faculty at Boston College.
Q: How did SMS impact your life?
A: At SMS, I took two years of Latin. Studying Latin inspired a lifelong interest in Roman history. I’ve been to Rome more than 20 times and have read countless books on ancient Rome. I owe a huge thanks to my SMS Latin teacher for sparking that passion.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?
A: That’s an easy one—raising my two kids.
Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
A: I’m fluent in Italian.
Q: What was your favorite SMS tradition?
A: Singing national anthems in Friday all-school assemblies. I can still remember most of the words, and every single word of the Dutch, Mexican, and Greek anthems!
Q: What advice would you give to current students?
A: Never stop being curious about the world around you. Curiosity is the foundation for lifelong learning and intellectual growth. With curiosity, almost anything becomes possible, so always ask “what if?” and “why not?”
Photo: Heide on a recent trip to Italy