A Community Legacy: Diane Swiatek

Diane Swiatek was a mother, wife, friend, educator, writer & founder of Banbury Crossroads School. She was an advocate to teach and give space to young people to think on their own. She IS and will always be a community inspiration and leader.

On May 6, 2023, Diane passed away suddenly.

This is a great loss to her family, Banbury Crossroads School, students, parents, teachers, CN! magazine and the community at large.

Diane inspired everyone she met.

Diane, listened, learned, taught, inspired…

One of the greatest things about Diane was her ability to dreamshe saw a need for a different type of learning and she set out to start a school 1 student at a time and never gave up because she knew she could create an environment where student voices were heard, where students would thrive and where a community would be built … and among her dreaming, building and creating she still made time to continue to learn.

“To me Diane was a friend, a mentor, a boss, an inspiration…what she did for me was incredible. She was one of the first contributors to CN! Magazine, one of my first advertisers, one of my first cheerleaders. She brought me in to teach music to her students, believed in my dreams enough to make me a part of her dreams by bringing me on to the board of directors for the school, and Diane taught me peoples voices matter, and I’m so lucky to have been a part of her life, and share in all her passion around education and learning. Her writing was remarkable just like her - she had a mind that was very special, and we need to carry that forward.” – Krista Malden.

To carry Diane Swiatek’s legacy forward you can help us build a legacy fund that will go towards student scholarships and enhancing the education of the current students at Banbury Crossroads School.

Diane always believed that everyone deserved to have equal opportunity and if people couldn’t afford to pay and didn’t qualify for a scholarship through a program, she would still accept them. This fund will help us carry her passion for education forward by making sure it is accessible to everyone and by making sure the current students have all the resources they need to be successful! Let’s carry her legacy forward!

To donate to the school please email:

dayn.williams@banburycross roads.com or call: (403) 270-7787