OK, Ms. Mattera. Let’s dispense with the formalities. You’re new to Staples—so the obvious first question—how did you end up here?

I was doing a one year maternity leave—I was covering that position in Weston for a year—once the year ended, I needed to find something somewhere else. So logically, I looked to Westport because it’s kind of Weston’s “big sister” in a way. I knew it would a bigger school and it would be more challenging, but more diverse and a more fun environment, so I looked here, and I was lucky enough to get hired.

Name, hometown, where you live now.

Lauren Mattera, my hometown is Weston, and I’m still in Weston!

What did you do this summer?

I read a lot of books—James Patterson (mysteries)[…]I was at the library all the time. With family, I went to Rhode Island[…]I spent a few days on Long Island[…]It was a low-key summer.

If you weren’t a Spanish teacher, what would your chosen profession or job be? Do you have a
secret hobby or passion or something you love to do on the weekends?

If I weren’t a Spanish teacher, the most logical response for something else I would do would be something in the translation field—which I tried after college, but I wasn’t really a huge fan—something else that has to do with Spanish. In my mind, if my alter ego would be able to have a job, then I would like to be an FBI detective, or somebody undercover like that[…]Just because I’m obsessed with murder mysteries.

In high school, who were you? What were you into? Sports, theater, etc?

Dance—I’m not super athletic, so I danced in Wilton, in one of the studios there[…] I was mostly involved with ballet, but I basically did everything except for tap[…]I’ve always liked languages, I took Latin and Spanish all four years, and then senior year I also took Chinese. I did all of that.

What did you think of Chinese?

It was really hard—super fun, really intricate, but it was really interesting, because as different as Latin American cultures are from our culture here in the United States, Asian cultures are totally different.

What is something about you that no one might guess, for instance, do you have an affinity for Karaoke or are you a closet scrapbooker? Something about you that your students might find surprising to learn? You’re a shopaholic with 100 pairs of shoes, you’re a sports fan, you are addicted to watching American Idol, you climbed Mount Kilimanjaro….

I just like to read, all the time. I’m a really good bargain shopper.

What’s your favorite type of food, and do you have a go-to place you frequent in these parts? What’s your secret indulgence?

I love Valencia Luncheria—their arepas are my favorite. Barcelona, I studied abroad in Madrid Barcelona was the only one that could compare to the Spanish food that I ate in Madrid. Stew Leonard’s ice cream—that’s a guilty pleasure of mine.

As a Spanish teacher, have you done extensive travel to Spanish-speaking countries?

I was abroad for five months in Madrid during college, I’ve also been to Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic—I’ve been around Spain a lot. I’m dying to visit Argentina, and I’d also like to go to Colombia.

Tell me something funny in Spanish? Now, what does it mean?

…“¿Que te pasa calabaza?” It’s “What’s up, pumpkin.”