The ideal Montessori alumni embodies the principles they acquired through their education; they model initiative, independence, dignity, confidence, sound judgement, and ability to work well with others.
We selected five (six, for this list includes a duo!) world-renowned figures who famously credited their Montessori background as a crucial factor in their success.
Julia Child (1912 - 2004) (Chef, Author, & TV Personality) Child was widely recognized for bringing French Cuisine to the American Public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. Child credited her Montessori experience with her love of working with hands, finding joy in her work as well as working with others.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Business Magnates, Computer Scientists & Entrepreneurs) Page and Brin co-founded Google, which has been referred to as the "most powerful company in the world" and one of the world's most valuable brands due to its market dominance, data collection, and technological advantages in the area of artificial intelligence. Both Page and Brin have stated many times that their years as Montessori students were a major factor behind their success. They said that going to a Montessori school taught them to be self-directed self-starters that could think for themselves.
Stephen Curry (Athlete) Curry is a point-guard for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and as the greatest shooter in NBA history, he is an eight-time NBA All-Star and eight-time All-NBA selection, has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice, has won four NBA championships, and received an NBA Finals MVP Award and an NBA All-Star Game MVP Award. Curry was also part of the United States National Basketball team for 2010 and 2014, who took home gold championships. Curry credits his Montessori education with instilling in him the skills to learn at his own pace as well as to harness his strengths, work on his weaknesses, and develop a sense that he could achieve anything.
Joshua Bell (Violinist & Conductor) Bell is a world-renowned, Grammy-award winning musician with more than 30 years as a violin soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and conductor. Bell was also the subject of a Pulitzer-prize winning story in the Washington Post, which highlighted not only his incredible musical achievements, but his humility. Bell exhibits his Montessori thinking into practice while working on the Washington Post experiment, in which he suspended his fame in order to explore the true meaning of his work. For more information, click here.
Gabriel García Márquez (1927 - 2014) (Novelist, Writer & Journalist) García Márquez was considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, particularly in the Spanish language, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature. He pursued a self-directed education that resulted in leaving law school for a career in journalism. García Márquez attended Montessori de Aracataca for 5 years and credited his time there with making him fall in love with language. He said that Montessori Education gave him the desire to "kiss literature" and: "the taste instilled him to go to the school, not only see literature but to write it."