I have many fond memories from my time at Montessori Children’s House of Valley Forge. From what I remember and from what I’ve gathered from my parents over the years, I was learning and growing in so many ways: academically, emotionally, developmentally, and socially. I remember Montessori as a safe space to try new things or experiment with an idea, which made it exciting to learn. My friends, sisters and I looked forward to getting out of the car and into the classroom each day.
One of my favorite events was ‘bring your parent to school’ night, which gave me the opportunity to show off to my mom or dad all the cool projects I’d been working on. Events like this felt like sharing an achievement, which helped boost confidence and foster independence. I especially enjoyed the social element of the Montessori experience. I was part of a self-proclaimed ‘Mystery Club’ (photo attached of 4 girls) – who solved pretend mysteries during play time and recess. I attribute my strong sense of curiosity and social nature to my early days at Montessori.
Another vivid memory was learning about baby chicks. Rather than just reading and hearing about the process of incubation and chicks hatching, we actually hatched chicks in our classroom. I was completely enthralled in this experiment – checking the eggs diligently each day to note any changes or progress. I think this teaching approach helped instill in me an impression that learning is fun and can yield exciting discoveries (baby chicks!).
These foundational memories and experiences helped shape my future and instilled a desire to keep learning. I continued to enjoy school and eventually studied economics, graduating from Boston College. I worked in various industries including consulting, financial services, and technology, and recently decided to return to school to pursue my MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. After school I will be joining the Strategy & Consulting group at Pfizer in New York. Some interests of mine include crossword puzzles, competitive card games, sudoku, skiing and hiking.
It is a testament to the culture and environment at Montessori that I still remember how much I looked forward to getting to the classroom and learning amongst my friends – some decades later.
