Voices of MSE Graduates
All of these former Montessori students are graduating in Spring 2008 from college. We wish them luck in their new endeavors!
Attending Montessori for over a decade helped me build the foundation to which I have successfully added with each stage of my life. Montessori's close community, nurturing teachers, and educational class trips provided me with the well-rounded educational experience that helped shape the independent person I have become. I graduated from Evergreen High School as a successful athlete and valedictorian, and I subsequently chose to attend Boston College. I have flourished in the BC environment, where I am currently finishing my senior year and will be graduating in May 2008 with a BA in economics. I joined the Economics Association of BC and the Entrepreneurship Society to supplement my studies, and have written a few articles featured in the Economics Association publication. I am avidly involved in numerous community service organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club of Boston and a mentorship program for BC freshman. Between classes and extracurricular commitments, I am frequently found on the tennis court or spending time outside. After practicing Pilates for nine years, I pursued certification as a Pilates instructor with a focus on development of the mind, body, spirit, and soul. My internship as a financial advisor convinced that the financial world is an ideal fit for me as I enter the professional world. I am currently interviewing with investment banks, portfolio managers, and financial advisors in Denver, which will be the next exciting step in my life.
Madison Carter
This May I will graduate from Gonzaga University and begin another amazing stage in life's journey. My degree will be in Business Administration with dual concentrations in Marketing and Human Resource Management. I have spent four wonderful years at Gonzaga, which has flown by in comparision to my almost 12 years at MSE. My Montessori experience sparked my desire to learn while developing my motivation to be successful in all that I do. The freedom of choices within the Montessori classroom built my interests and skills in a variety of subjects, which has continued to grow throughout my years of formal education. At Gonzaga, I have participated as a Senate member in student government, in raising money for local charities through the organization of an annual three-on-three basketball tournament, and the development and implementation of a marketing campaign for a local business. Each of these opportunities has prepared me for my future goal of working in sports marketing. I was blessed to have the chance to build a stable base at Montessori; the passion for learning that was passed on to me from my teachers has inspired me to apply for Teach for America, an organization that placed exemplary college graduates into high need schools in an effort to close the education gap. I am proud of my accomplishments and firmly believe that Montessori taught me how to be a self-motivated person. This has allowed me to get where I am today and will continue to guide me in my life's goals.
Michaela Bader
I am graduating in May from Colorado State University with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Human Sciences with a concentration in Apparel Design and Production with a minor in Business Administration. I just completed my senior capstone project, which was to create and design a cohesive clothing line consisting of five ensembles. I created a line of five "special occasion" gowns all hand-painted on silk shantung. This fall I will be moving to London for an internship on fashion design. Montessori was a special learning experience for me because I feel that the unique education helped to foster my creativity that I thrive on today. The small, close-knit environment of Montessori enabled me to focus more upon growing as a person rather than on competing for popularity or attention like many instances in public schools. Because of this I feel like I was able to truly find myself and establish my beliefs at a young age.
Taryn Slawson
This May I will be graduating from the University of Vermont with a double major in economics and political science. My principle interests throughout college have been energy issues and environmental sustainability. I was involved in the Vermont Campus Energy Group, an organization that convinced the Campus Government and the Board of Trustees to create a fund for the development of alternative energy solutions at UVM. I also worked for a start-up company that manufactures and installs residential wind turbines. After I graduate, I will work as an analyst with The Patagonia Land Partnership, a sustainable private equity firm. The firm will invest in land in the Rio Negro valley of Argentina to develop fair-trade, organic farms producing wine, apples, pears, stone fruit, and vegetables. Though I only attending Montessori from 5th through 8th grade, I believe the experience had a deep and invaluable impact on me. The most valuable qualities that my Montessori education helped me to develop are the ability to think critically, the desire to learn and absorb knowledge, and confidence in my ideas.
Aaron Smith
I will graduate from Columbia University in May of 2008. It has been an exciting four years filled with challenging classes, rugby practices, club meetings and finally, what is to be the culmination of my college experience, my honors thesis in anthropology. Helping inner city middle school students in a mentoring program provided me with one of my most rewarding college activities. I have gained experience working in the continuing education office, doing research for a professor and living in the Big Apple. My plans after graduation include a summer in Ecuador as the student leader of an archeological dig followed by a stint in Northern California working for a Cultural Resource Management firm. After that, I will travel and participate in internship opportunities in South America, utilizing knowledge from my Hispanic Studies and Anthropology majors. Graduate school is also in my future when I am sure of the field I want to pursue. I know the desire to pursue a passion and to constantly expand my horizons and my love of learning comes from Montessori. For 12 years of my life the Montessori School of Evergreen provided me with an environment in which I was free to follow my passions from the pink tower to the murder mystery novella I wrote for my 8th grade mentorship. My eventual career will definitely be one that allows me to contribute to the betterment of our world, another seed that Montessori planted.
Morgan Hoke
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