When I Grow Up

Video Transcript

My name is Hugo, and I am 4 years old.

When I grow up, I want to be a policeman.

Famous Montessorians

Montessori Alumni: Creative Thinkers and Leaders

Montessori education has nurtured a remarkable range of successful and creative individuals across diverse fields. Notable alumni include:

  • Actors and Performers: George Clooney, Cami Cotler, John and Joan Cusack, Dakota Fanning, Melissa and Sara Gilbert, Helen Hunt, Lea Salonga, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé

  • Artists and Creatives: Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Will Wright (creator of The Sims), musician Joshua Bell

  • Business and Technology Leaders: Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Peter Drucker (management expert)

  • Writers and Journalists: Gabriel García Márquez (Nobel Laureate), Katharine Graham (Washington Post), Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (editor and former First Lady)

  • Public Figures: Chelsea Clinton, Princes William and Harry of Wales

These individuals credit their early Montessori experiences with fostering independence, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning.

“I do not believe there is a method better than Montessori for making children sensitive to the beauties of the world and awakening their curiosity regarding the secrets of life.”
— Gabriel García Márquez, Author

“Montessori gave me a lot of confidence at a young age, I used to love it when I'd come to school because there was something new I was going to learn every single day.”
— Stephen Curry, NBA Athlete

“Montessori taught me the joy of discovery... It showed you can become interested in pretty complex theories, like Pythagorean theory, say, by playing with blocks. It’s all about learning on your terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes right out of Montessori — if you give people this model for building cities, they will abstract from it principles of urban design.”
— Will Wright, Computer Game Designer and Original Designer of The Sims
“[When asked by Barbara Walters what he credits his success to] We both went to Montessori schools and I think it was all part of that training... being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on in the world and doing things a little bit differently.”
— Larry Page, Google co-founder
“Structure is an absolutely important part of the creative life, and Emily [Ma] got this from her Montessori experience.”
— Yo Yo Ma, World-Renowned Cellist and Montessori parent