Patrick Fisher

In college, I felt a calling to be a music or math teacher, but my parents were pushing for other careers—doctor, lawyer, or accountant. I enjoyed my music classes and played the saxophone, but instead of following my passions I became an accountant. I did that for a while and was good at it, but it wasn’t the right fit for my personality.

One day in the early 1990s, I was eating at a diner on Dale Mabry Highway and saw an issue of what is now called Creative Loafing. I read that there was a community band forming and thought: “I’d like to join that. I could play my saxophone.” Little did I know that one article would change my life.

The drummer in that band was the Director of Technology at Berkeley at that time. Computers were becoming a staple of life, and Berkeley was beginning to offer computer classes. I had taken computer programming to become a CPA, so Berkeley hired me in 1993 to teach computer classes. I was so excited.

I grew up in Dunedin, FL, a city with Scottish roots and was in my high school’s piping band. In 1996 at Berkeley, I was asked to bring over the piping band from my old high school to see if they might inspire any Berkeley students to start a piping band after school. A few Berkeley students were interested, so I then became the Director of Piping. The band performed at a local Veterans Day Parade and soon enough, they were playing at Disney World in kilts. It took off from there.

I’m grateful to Berkeley for investing in my professional development, allowing me to take more music classes in New York City over one summer and in Austin, TX, the following summer. Attending these classes allowed me to become a music teacher. It was my absolute dream, and it unbelievably came true.

This year, I have 21 pipers (our largest group ever), and piping is now one of four music classes from which Middle and Upper Division students can choose (along with band, orchestra, and chorus). We are proud to be the only piping band with Middle and Upper Division students who march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston each year. There are only about 38 high school piping bands in 22 states right now, so the fact that we can offer this at Berkeley is so special.

One of my inaugural pipers, Dax Nelson ’96, is an estate planning attorney, and I decided to reach out to him to learn more about leaving a gift to Berkeley. Berkeley has become an extension of my family. I look forward to going to work and feel lucky to have met the most amazing colleagues here. Our students have an unmatched enthusiasm for life and learning, and I enjoy seeing all the positive things they do in the world upon graduation.

I’m thrilled to give back to Berkeley through my gift that will help fund a scholarship, allowing someone to experience this school that has meant so much to me. I encourage others to give back to Berkeley in whatever way they can.