Born in Puerto Rico, Diana Mejias Fermaint, PhD, initially wanted to become a translator for the United Nations. However, she soon found herself drawn to helping children and turned her career path toward education instead. After graduating from York College with a bachelor’s degree in 1969, she began her career as an English as a second language teacher in the New York City Geographic District #7. In 1995, she returned to Puerto Rico and became a teacher at Antilles High School, where she remained for the rest of her career. Dr. Mejias Fermaint retired in 2021.
Throughout her career, Dr. Mejias Fermaint continued to further her education. She was certified to teach a number of languages, including French, Spanish and English, and also regularly studied Russian and multiple Latin languages. Going on to matriculate at the University of Phoenix, she achieved a master’s degree in 2002, which she followed with a Doctor of Philosophy in 2021. She is incredibly proud to have completed her doctoral dissertation at 71 years of age. By the time she retired, she had cultivated significant expertise in analytics, Caribbean literature and languages. Dr. Mejias Fermaint continues to maintain an active affiliation with the Latin American Studies Association.
Attributing much of her success to her humility, Dr. Mejias Fermaint always strives to do her best in everything that she does. Alongside her primary responsibilities, she spent 10 years as the manager of the department of mergers and acquisitions for Citigroup Investment Bank. As she looks toward the future, Dr. Mejias Fermaint plans to publish her dissertation, as well as a book on the work of her late husband, who was a playwright. Having accomplished much over the course of her career, she considers her greatest achievement to be raising her two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys exercising, dancing, hiking, reading, watching foreign movies, cooking and music.