Faculty Of The Week: Diego Ardura

By Jett Goetz, Anjali Frary, Aria Scannell, Nupur Malhotra

Courtesy of Ardura

“As a classroom teacher, dorm head of Ewald and girls varsity soccer coach, Señor Ardura brings that invaluable ‘triple threat’ to PEA,” Spanish Instructor Paolo Reichlin said. “We are lucky to have him.”

Since Spanish Instructor Diego Ardura first came to Exeter in 2019, he enjoyed connecting with the community around him every day. “I have the feeling I learn something new every day, either from my student-athletes or from my colleagues,” Ardura said. “Observing my colleagues doing Harkness, and then bringing those ideas and plans to my classes has been one of the most fruitful experiences in my teaching career.”

“The administration trusts him and knows he cares about the work he does,” Spanish Instructor Pedro Fermin Perez-Andreu said. After his second year of teaching at PEA, Ardura was named dorm head of Ewald.

The students of Ewald certainly do not disagree. “He always shows he is listening to understand and to engage with whatever it may be that we discuss,” prep Will Simpson, one of Ardura’s advisees said. “He also is a kind spirit, with a clear intent to use his time to help improve everyone's well-being.”

Originally from Spain, Ardura brings his culture and heritage to the classroom. Reichlin agreed, commenting that “Señor Ardura is a creative teacher bringing his extensive knowledge of Spain and Latin America to his students.”

In Ardura’s Spanish class, every class “is a new experience, and he brings a new level of enthusiasm each time,” according to prep Ethan Jha. “I would say that although I haven't had many teachers yet, Mr. Ardura is one of my favorites, and I am looking forward to having more classes with him.” 

Upper Michael Popik, who has been Ardura’s student for the past three terms, agreed. “His emphasis on speaking about topics that are already hard to discuss in English has greatly helped my Spanish development.” 

Not only is Ardura teaching his Spanish classes, heading his dorm community and leading soccer— he is also facilitating an anti-racist course called “Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity.”

“There are many ideologies that are deeply embedded into American culture; racism is certainly one of them.” Ardura told us. “If you want to understand those ideologies, you need to...be able to see our world through the eyes and voices of many different and diverse people.” 

Ardura focuses on fostering an open-minded, engaging environment to explore challenging ideas. He said, “I want my students to be able to see the U.S. through the eyes of an immigrant, and to question why certain things are the way they are, and then dismantle those systems.”

Ardura is “super dedicated to creating positive change in this school which is something I think the school needs more of,” according to Alexa Murat, Ardura’s anti-racist co-facilitator “He makes students feel comfortable and welcomed into our discussions.” 

Ardura is also the assistant coach of the girls varsity soccer team. “He brings so much passion and matches my excitement to be out there on the soccer field. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, he can coach all positions, and he can play!”  Alexa Caldwell, head coach of the girls varsity soccer team said. “He loves to win just as much as I do.”

Caldwell also noted that those who have the opportunity to connect with Ardura appreciate his good-natured manner and compassion. “He brings so much...Energy, enthusiasm, positivity, youth! His sense of humor and positivity are infectious.” 

Soccer player Lyric Zimmerman agreed. “His best quality as a person, at least in my opinion, is his ability to uplift others… Just being around him can change your entire mood,” she said. “I’ve also never seen a man place more bets on his own penalty kicks, and the amusing disappointment when the ball shoots over the net never gets old.”  

Ardura’s uplifting and caring persona extends far beyond the pitch. “Diego is an individual who just exudes warmth and compassion,” Reichlin added. “There is an expression in Spanish which captures him best, ‘Se hace querer,’ which translates roughly to: “he is a really lovable guy.”

Outside of the classroom, Ardura spends his time cheering for the FC Barcelona soccer team, immersing himself in the humanities and enjoying walks around campus with his young daughter.

“Being in a place where I can chat about literature or history with a very diverse and bright group of students, and then go to the soccer pitch and coach a group of very talented players who truly enjoy the sport is unique for me,” Ardura said. “That’s the sort of place where I belong!”