Connie Beringer, distinguished Dean of the Language Arts Department, will be retiring this July after a 26-year career at Skyline.
Beginning as a part-time teacher here at Skyline, Beringer has worked hard for decades to leave her mark on the campus. She has been an integral part of the growth of not only the Language Arts department, but also other programs she helped create like the Puente Program (with partner Carla Campillo) and the Honors Pro- gram. She even held the position of Academic Senate president during her time at Skyline. Through all her efforts to better the school and the students, Beringer has left a lasting impression on the campus.
Beringer knew she wanted to be an English teacher from a very young age. At eight years old, she was helping her newly emigrated Italian relatives learn to speak English and fell in love with teaching.
Despite her early determination to pursue a teaching career, Beringer almost let it slip through her fingers due to a fear of public speaking.
“I would have panic attacks,” Beringer said. “I thought, ‘how am I going to teach?'”
During her time as a student teacher, Beringer’s supervising professor helped her overcome her fear and continue to follow her dream of teaching English.
When Beringer moved to the Bay Area from Ohio in 1980, continuing the teaching career she started in Ohio wasn’t exactly on the radar. Beringer gave birth to son and spent the next six years raising him rather than pursuing teaching. When she moved to San Bruno in 1986, however, it wasn’t long before Beringer decided it was time to get back on the horse. Beringer may have never discov– ered Skyline had it not been for a friend who told her about the col– lege on the hill.
“I literally could not see the school,” Beringer said.
But sure enough, after driving up College Drive, Beringer discovered there was in fact a college and decided to take advantage of the learning opportunities. Originally starting as a student at Skyline to sharpen her computer skills, Beringer soon learned of a part- time position as an English teacher in the Learning Disability department. By 1990, she was employed full-time as an English teacher. Beringer fell into the Dean position in 2006, when the previous Dean left abruptly for another job.
“I never sought out administration,” Beringer said. “I never got into teaching thinking, ‘Oh, I want to be an administrator.’ It’s just something that happened.”
Beringer was hesitant to accept the interim position she was offered at first, but when the permanent po– sition became available she decided she actually was cut out for the job and went for it. Beringer admits that, compared to teaching, being in administration is “not as rewarding.”
“It is very challenging,” Beringer said. “But I’ve enjoyed the challenge of it because I’ve had great faculty to work with in this division, and a great senior admin- istration.”
Before starting her career at Skyline, Beringer made sure to have a few adventures. After earn- ing her Masters in English from Kent State in Ohio, she spent five years in Germany and England. Although she’s Italian by blood, Beringer had the urge to go some- where where she didn’t speak the language to have a truly unique experience. She can still speak German conversationally today, in addition to Italian.
Connie’s presence will be missed among those who worked with her on a daily basis.
“She’s a great leader; she’s a great boss,” said Kennya Ruiz, the Language Arts division assistant.
“We know that she’ll move on to better things, she has more goals in her life.”
Beringer does not intend to let her adventure end now that she’s retiring. She and her husband plan on spending time down in Los Angeles to help take care of her grandchild, and she also plans to continue traveling.
“Maybe I’ll have a career in Hol– lywood or something,” Beringer said, laughing.
Wherever life takes her from this point, Beringer can always remem– ber her time here fondly and know that her legacy lives on through the programs she’s created and the students she’s influenced.
