Eva Iacomini

Elementary and Middle School Spanish Teacher

How many years have you worked at Oak Grove?

Since 2018.

Why do you work at Oak Grove?

I’ve been into K’s teachings for almost two decades so, when the possibility of teaching Spanish at OGS presented itself (which was pretty magical how it happened), I leapt. I was very excited to contribute to Krishnamurti’s school in some way. I was also very aware of how much and how deep my own learning process here was going to be as a teacher and as a human being. And I wanted that rich learning experience for myself.

A quote that inspires your approach to your job.

“There is hope in people, not in society, not in systems, but in you and me.” – J. Krishnamurti

Where is your special spot on campus?

I guess the walk I do in the mornings from the parking lot to the Group C1 and C2 classrooms. I start by checking the art window display by the parking lot (that always brings me joy), and then just walking across the beautiful campus and having that wide view of trees, paths, the harmonious wooden buildings at the back, and the roses and rosemary plants.

Coffee or Tea?

The luxury of choosing between coffee and tea!

What makes an Oak Grove education unique?

Krishnamurti philosophy’s perfume behind everything.

How do we prepare students for their life ahead?

I think by supporting them in every stage and angle, allowing them to learn about themselves while learning about the world. We prepare them by providing the right environment and guidance to explore their own particular connection to everything around them.

What outdoor experience has been most impactful for you?

Boating on the Ganges River from K’s study center in Varanasi to downtown. A local person suggested that “shortcut” if I wanted to be on time for an Ayurvedic massage appointment. It impacted me because I got to watch from the “the holy water” the local people’s body cremation ritual.

The best live music performance/concert you ever attended is …

Maybe seeing Tricky’s concert, from very close, singing the entire concert turning his back to the people. I was surprised by how much I felt by just looking at Tricky’s back the whole time.

Which teacher in your life affected you greatly? How?

I didn’t have any formal teacher who affected me in any particular way. But my mom’s best friend Carlos did. I met him as a teenager when he came to our house to visit, after having been lost from her life for 30 years. I noticed he looked at life from a perspective I hadn’t seen before. We developed a friendship/mentorship through letters. He was 40 years older than me. When I came to the United States, in my early 20s, he gifted me a book. He said I should put it on my shelf and forget about it until the book called me to read it. It was Krishnamurti’s book The Flight of the Eagle. He walked me through Krishnamurti’s teachings for many years on the phone, for hours and hours. Without his mentorship, I don’t think I could have survived the crisis K’s teachings brought to my existence back then.

Name something that nobody knows about you.

I can play tango songs with a cork.

Person (dead or alive, famous or not) that you’d most like to share a meal with.

Definitely Krishnaji.

Name a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but haven’t yet.

A mountain in Argentina called Cerro Uritorco. Way too many friends swear they have seen UFOs up there!

What is your most bizarre OGS experience?

When I met Meredy, casually, in a coffee shop in town. My son and I were petting her beautiful dog, and I was sharing with her (though she hadn’t introduced herself yet) my passion for Krishamurti’s teachings and how unhappy I was teaching Spanish where I was working at the time. Before she left, she finally introduced herself, so we both shared a laugh about the Krishnamurti/Oak Grove factor. She gave me her business card, and I came to her office just to bring her some Spanish books she was interested in looking at. We both lamented that she didn’t need a Spanish teacher at that moment, but we both said at the same time that, if it was meant to be, it would happen. I even said out loud that if K wanted me there, he’d let me know! The next day she called me, swearing she didn’t fire her Spanish teacher, and asked me to come to give a demo class, since the position had suddenly become available. That was freaky!