Hershey News
Get an in-depth look at the rich learning experience of Hershey Montessori.![Hershey Embarks on Social Discovery Journey](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Copy-of-Diversity-1-800x675.png)
Hershey Embarks on Social Discovery Journey
“The crises we are witnessing is not one of those that make the passage from one era to another, it can only be compared with the opening of a new Biological or Geological period, when new beings come upon the scene, more evolved and more perfect, while upon the earth are realized conditions of life, which had never existed before.” Dr. Maria Montessori, Peace and Education (1932)
The events that unfolded over the last year brought a heightened awareness of the social injustice and inequity that has plagued our nation’s history and profoundly affected fellow citizens.
Dr. Montessori, and many other scientists, demonstrated that an education that removes the obstacles for healthy development, and that allows the student’s innate energies for good to develop in accordance with their natural capacity, will reveal a “new child” who is intellectually independent and emotionally drawn to contribute to moral and social conditions of their environments.
That is why this year’s whole school professional development day centered on social-emotional development that included emotional intelligence and communication skills, as well as social leadership capacities and abilities. We learned about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) from specialists with Cleveland consulting firm Sage and Maven.
A number of staff as well as some Upper School students also took the opportunity to dive deeper into learning about Restorative Justice with specialist Tarek Maassarani. Maassarani’s work on the science of peace, on both the national and international level, includes organizations such as Restorative DC and Communities in Transition.
Several topics were covered in the two half-day sessions, including Privilege, LGBTQ language, how we create our identity, the difference between explicit and implicit bias, the difference between “not racist” versus “anti-racist,” the different types of racism, and restorative practices.
Hershey staff deepened their understanding of how to create practices and environments that strengthen community inclusion and connection so that our students will learn even more about community responsibility and leadership.
“It is this conviction that imbues us with hope that education may be the most effective instrument to attain the union of all humanity. To this end, education must channel the powerful creative energies of the child toward an ultimate spiritual independence, utilizing to its utmost (their) miraculous capacity for adaptation, according to an ideal of altruism and love.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, Citizen of the Word, San Remo Lectures, Montessori-Pierson Publishing Co. (1949)
A DEIB circle (a.k.a. “committee”) has also been formed to help further progress in this area. The circle is made up of staff and Upper school students who select consultants and trainers, meet and attend workshops, webinars, and trainings for the purpose of sharing and advancing DEIB work and initiatives at Hershey Montessori School.
“There was a group of seven students who participated in the 3-hour workshop, which focused on being actively affirming and inclusive of all identities,” said Lucy McNees, a senior at Hershey.
She and two other Upper School students, sophomore Kylie Golden-Appleton and senior Cecilia Carney, lead an antiracism initiative and meet with the DEIB circle biweekly to discuss the school’s efforts and goals.
“In this way, we can move forward with the whole community on the same page,” says McNees.
As a staff and whole school, Hershey will continue to ensure it has healthy, prepared environments that allow for personal reflection and deep dialogue about our personal contribution to growth in DEIB.
Self-awareness and growing in social emotional intelligence as a community can be wonderfully restorative and inclusive. It is important that Hershey maintains an environment where all feel safe, represented, heard and valued.
Watch for a Hershey DEIB resource webpage to come in the near future.
![Adolescent Boarding Set to Reopen Fall 2021](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Coming-Fall-2021-1080x675.png)
Adolescent Boarding Set to Reopen Fall 2021
We are thrilled to be able to bring our boarding students back home to Hershey this fall!
Hershey staff and administration are finalizing the residential design, facilities use, and remaining COVID-19 contingency plans for the fall.
Much progress is being made to mitigate and reduce infection numbers here in our region and across the United States.
We will be sharing more information as details are finalized.
Returning and/or new families who are interested in registering for this fall may contact the school at 440-636-6290 or email admissions@hershey-montessori.org.
We enthusiastically welcome you back home to Hershey. Our Huntsburg campus eagerly awaits your return!
![Community Art Partnership Enriches Students](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cropped-logo-1080x675.jpg)
Community Art Partnership Enriches Students
Earlier this school year, Tania Bertolone, Hershey’s Middle School Director at our Huntsburg campus sought outside specialists for the purpose of broadening exposure to the arts for our Middle School students. In her search, Bertolone connected with Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, Executive Director at Fairmount Center for the Arts.
At Tania’s direction, Hershey hired two of Fairmount’s artists to serve as specialists for Middle School students to enhance Hershey’s Creative Expression curriculum.
Liliana Garlisi, who serves as Fairmount’s Piano faculty, meets weekly with Hershey students, inspiring, connecting and providing opportunities for them to learn, grow and express themselves through music.
Brigitte Fiorille, who serves as Fairmount’s Art Director and Ceramics faculty, also meets with students to work with them in the ceramics studio at Hershey’s Huntsburg campus. Both women have brought the students great inspiration and expertise in their crafts.
“Creative Expression is a core component of our Middle School curriculum and we are intentional about supporting and connecting with our community,” Bertolone said. What I found with Fairmount Center for the Arts was a perfect alignment for us and our students. They bring professionalism and expertise to every class and every project. Our students are engaged and are learning so much.”
![](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Hershey-FCA-Ceramics-8th-yrs-coil-pots-project-300x300.jpg)
Clay pots hand-crafted by Hershey Middle School students.
Fairmount generally conducts its programs at its facility in Novelty, Ohio, but this partnership has been ideal in that they were willing to travel to the school campus each week.
Fairmount Center for the Arts has many hands-on forms of expression from dance, to art, music, and theater. They offer several different activities like camps, workshops, and even fitness classes. We are so grateful to have such a fantastic organization in our community for our students to experience and enjoy. They also offer classes to the community in a COVID-safe environment. You can view and register for a variety of offerings on their website. Learn more about Fairmount Center for the Arts by visiting their website at www.fairmountcenter.org/.
![Hershey Montessori School Recognized by You Me Montessori](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Youmemontessori-Logo.png)
Hershey Montessori School Recognized by You Me Montessori
Hershey Montessori School is being recognized by You Me Montessori in a multi-part series of articles that document our school history and accomplishments. The founders of the organization are from South Africa and the United Kingdom. All currently work in Kuwait in the education field. Their website viewers are from around the world. You can read these articles by clicking on the series title below, or follow our Facebook page to see each article as it is published.
We extend our gratitude to Leon Caesar and his team for their interest in Hershey Montessori School and for their work in sharing Montessori with viewers around the globe.
Hershey Part 1 – Giant Footprints in Cosmic Education: The Journey of Hershey Montessori School
Hershey Part 2 – From Humble Origins to International Renown
Hershey Part 3 – Hershey Montessori School’s Concord Campus
Hershey Part 4 – Introducing The Farm School
Hershey Part 5 – The Cosmic Preparation Of The Huntsburg Campus
Hershey Part 6 – Reach For The Stars And Catch A Dream – The Vital Needs Of The Adolescent
Hershey Part 7 – The Value of Work and Economic Independence
Hershey Part 8 – Curriculum Frameworks I
Stay tuned for more in this series!
You can learn more about Hershey Montessori here on our website
![Hershey Montessori Students Hold Multi-School Election Conference](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/hunGpUAdiAYPcY-1080x675.jpg)
Hershey Montessori Students Hold Multi-School Election Conference
Hershey Montessori’s Upper School students recently held an Election Conference as part of their Humanities project. The conference brought students and experts together, virtually, to discuss issues around elections, specifically, reforming the election process and governance.
The students, led by Hershey guides John Buzzard and Jennifer Snead, connected with several adult experts, including Diane Silver from FairVote, an organization that champions electoral reforms to give voters greater choice, a stronger voice, and a representative democracy that works for all Americans; Cyndi Lucas of Citizen Congress, an app that lets users send their views to federal representatives and vote on bills, nominations, and questions introduced in Congress; Drez Jennings, a writer and expert on politics and media; and a former student of Buzzard, Sara Abdul-Rahim, Associate Director of Development at Georgetown University.
Students from Oak Farm Montessori in Indiana, Montessori School of Winston-Salem in North Carolina, and Beacon Academy in Illinois joined Hershey students and these professionals to discuss several areas of interest. Topics included election reform, ranked-choice voting, immigrant voting, felon disenfranchisement and vote by mail.
The conference was a collaborative effort that brought forth several issues that students were able to give voice to and engage in a critical thinking process that allowed them to express their ideas and concerns over the election process and governance.
Students were afforded the opportunity to give presentations that were followed by a question and answer session. A student action panel made up of students from all the schools also discussed how to take action and get their voices heard – a conversation that was facilitated by expert Cyndi Lucas and by Hershey student Kylie Golden-Appleton.
“We were thrilled with the turnout of students from other schools and the passion that they brought. The student action panel allowed the students to connect around their political ideas, and to find a community of young people eager to take political action. It felt like a way to take one of our responses to the COVID pandemic – working virtually – and make it a strength,” said Buzzard.
Hershey is pleased to provide students with experiential education opportunities that provide real-life skills and insights.
Both the students and experts gained better insight into these important, relevant topics and what our next generation of voters can do to improve them.
![Hershey Montessori School Receives ISACS Provisional Member Status](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ISACS_ProvisionalMemberSchoolColor-e1600723251191-1080x675.jpg)
Hershey Montessori School Receives ISACS Provisional Member Status
Hershey Montessori School has good news to celebrate. ISACS, the Independent Schools Association of the Central States, has approved Hershey as a provisional member, which is the first step towards becoming an ISACS-accredited school. Hershey’s Steering Committee, which began its work in early 2019, is pleased to share this information with the Hershey community.
The Benefits of ISACS Membership
(From the ISACS website)
Moving Forward
With Provisional Membership approval, Hershey may now begin the process for full accreditation that involves preparation of the self-study report and accreditation visit. Getting to this stage required submission of our Provisional Membership Application (PMA). The PMA provides ISACS with an assessment of an organization that ensures it currently complies with the standards for full ISACS membership. The PMA required Hershey to provide documented evidence of compliance across 52 standards for membership, including our current policies and practices; mission, philosophy, and goals; school community; programs and activities, student services; governance and administration, personnel; and residential programs. We submitted our PMA in February of this year, which was reviewed and approved by the ISACS board in May.
The impetus to pursue ISACS accreditation came from the growing needs of our school. When Hershey’s Upper School was added five years ago, our community became keenly aware that resources and support provided to independent schools by ISACS would support our plans for continued growth. Our leadership then surveyed teachers, staff, and board members for input on the decision to begin the accreditation process. Together, we concluded that membership in ISACS would be of great benefit to our school and community.
Hershey’s ISACS Steering Committee includes Paula Leigh-Doyle, Laurie Ewert-Krocker, Tania Bertolone, Jennifer Finan, Valerie Raines, and Saren Peetz.
We look forward to the added value this organization will bring to our community.
To learn more about Hershey Montessori, visit our about page here
![Hershey Invites You To Its Adolescent Campus Weekend Open House](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Community-Center-1080x675.jpg)
Hershey Invites You To Its Adolescent Campus Weekend Open House
We warmly invite you to be our guest and take this opportunity to learn about our Adolescent program and curriculum from our staff and students, as well as take a guided tour of our campus.
Join us for a Saturday Open House on October 17, 2020 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.
Gain a greater understanding of Montessori education, how Hershey Montessori emphasizes the connection between school and family, school and student, and student and family, and learn why Hershey students love school.
Hershey Montessori School is dedicated to keeping the health and safety of both our school community and those interested in learning more about Hershey. Our Open House will be split into 2 registration times and pre-registration is required.
In keeping with CDC guidelines, upon arrival, visitors will be asked to take their temperature (a temperature of 99.9 or greater will result in having to exit the premises and reschedule for another time), use hand sanitizer, wear a face-covering/mask, and keep physically distanced when interacting with others.
If you have questions about the event, please do not hesitate to contact Hershey Montessori School’s Office at 440-357-0918 or admissions@hershey-montessori.org.
An Open House for our Birth – 6th grade campus is also being held on October 18th from 1 pm – 3 pm.
![Hershey Launches Reopening Plan](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/36239019874_20502c927e_o-1080x675.jpg)
Hershey Launches Reopening Plan
Staff eager to welcome new and returning students to campus
Much of Hershey Montessori School’s staff and faculty spent the summer redesigning their campuses, classrooms, and education platforms. Their goal has been to ensure Hershey’s high-quality programs continue to serve students, staff, and families’ needs, while still maintaining an authentic Montessori approach.
Hershey is slated to reopen both campuses later this month with a redesigned face-to-face learning experience for all students. An enhanced remote learning option is also being offered to adolescent students. The on-campus designs are centered around small cohorts of students and implementing all recommended health practices, while enhancing the experience by availing of as much education in our outdoor environments as possible.
“The aspects we learned from last spring’s unexpected launching of remote learning created the opportunity to greatly enhance our remote learning experience,” said Head of School, Paula Leigh-Doyle. “Significant purchases of new technologies will allow for greater engagement and a more interactive experience for our students.”
The school recently released its Healthy Reopening Family Manual that provides insight to its plans and protocols for each educational level of the school. The manual also outlines health and safety protocols and various measures that have been implemented to ensure the well-being of Hershey students, staff and community. The highly-detailed plan is the result of collective input from faculty, staff, students, and parents through surveys and feedback, as well as the collaboration of Hershey’s Contingency Planning Team. The manual, already on it’s second edition, will evolve as new information and recommendations are brought to light.
Ohio’s governor is set to provide additional school guidelines on August 13th. Hershey will make an announcement to its school community on August 14th regarding any changes or additional information that needs to be communicated based on the outcome of the governor’s press conference.
We recognize the the state of uncertainty that we all have endured since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families are still seeking school options. Hershey is still accepting applications for fall enrollment. We are prepared, and we are excited to safely welcome new and returning students this fall!
![Are Hershey Graduates Prepared for College?](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/alumni.jpg)
Are Hershey Graduates Prepared for College?
An Interview with Hershey Montessori School Alumni
Hershey Montessori School delights in welcoming back its graduates and former students. We love to hear how they are tackling life and college after high school. We seek to know how their Montessori education helped shape and prepare them for the paths they chose. We love learning more about where they are today, and how their skills are helping them on life’s journey.
At the last alumni gathering, Hershey graduates shared with us what course of study they are pursuing and what university they are attending. We then asked them to speak to how they felt prepared for where they are on their journey. Below is what they shared.
Ilana Rosenheck ’18, Psychology, University of Cincinnati: “I think the farm, or Hershey or Montessori in general, has really prepared us for public speaking. We all did countless presentations and that really developed a confidence in all of us – or most of us. I feel like if we had an issue or a question, we all felt comfortable with going to our professors and talking to them just because we have that close relationship with the staff here. It’s something I feel like traditional schooling won’t teach their students. Hershey taught us about being a functioning adult. I feel like Hershey really prepared us for life.”
Cameron Zona ’18, Theater and Entrepreneurship, Lake Erie College: “Yeah, I have to agree. I was here on campus on Monday and I sat in on a class of Middle School students and they were giving presentations, and I was like ‘these presentations are better prepared and they have better public speaking skills than the students that are in some of my college classes.’ I was very impressed. I definitely think that it is something that when students graduate, they have a firm grasp on.”
Makenna Venaleck ’18, Chemical Engineering, Ohio University: “I don’t do a lot of presentations or public speaking in my area of study, but I will say that I felt very prepared to talk with my professors and have a little bit of an up because even though a lot of people in STEM are very good at math and science, they can’t really communicate what they are studying or how they are feeling or talk to their professors or to a potential employer. I went to the career fair and I felt very prepared because I could set aside ‘What are my skills? What are things that I am good at?’ and I could have a conversation with someone that maybe would employ me or was a professor. I felt very prepared for interpersonal communication.”
Erin Finan ’19, Journalism, Ohio University: “I think Hershey helped me (or Montessori) in a lot of ways, but especially when I went to college and I was trying to find my friend group. The people I connected with like at Hershey really helped me to know the kind of people I wanted to be around and know how to find my tribe. Taking that to college made it a lot easier to find people and know that these were the people that I wanted to spend time with and be around, and that I wanted to form my friend group with. I mean, college has more people so you have to adjust because of that, but you also have to know that there are people like you and for you at college that you’ll be able to connect with in the same way you connect with people here. You might have to look a little bit harder because it’s such a bigger environment, but like I said, Hershey helped me and a lot of us know who we wanted as our friends and the things we value. When we find those [values] in other people, it’s easier to make those connections.”
Elise Spintzyk ’18, Psychology, Ohio State University: “I think Hershey prepared us well because we had a lot of leadership opportunities. I think students who are looking to move forward into a graduate program or even to apply for a job are able to step into a leadership role. While you are in college that is something that is really important and important for your resumé. Already having had a leadership role with experience, I can bring that in as a freshman student when applying for a position on an executive board of a club, something in your department, or looking for a research position if that’s something you’re interested in. Those are things that you wouldn’t already be taking with you from most high schools. I think a lot of students haven’t had the opportunity to do so. When you step into those roles when you’re in college, you are very well prepared for them and you’re able to thrive in that position and keep moving forward.”
Thank you, alumni, for sharing how your Hershey Montessori School experience and skills have helped aid you in your college education and beyond. We are please that you were able to take leadership, communication, interpersonal skills, public speaking, real-life capabilities, and tools to navigate and find your way in the next steps of your education. We wish you all the best. We truly look forward to seeing you all again very soon!
![Interview with Hershey Alumn, Dante Calise](https://hershey-montessori.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Untitled-1000-x-600-px-2.png)
Interview with Hershey Alumn, Dante Calise
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Head of School Paula Leigh-Doyle, met with former Hershey Montessori School student Dante Calise, via Zoom. Paula had several questions, many of them relevant to the times we’re living in.
Here is their interview conducted in May 2020.
[Paula] This is Dante Calise. Dante is interviewing with us from his home in Northbrook, Illinois. Dante, why don’t you tell us a little bit about your life journey? How old were you when you started Montessori?
[Dante] Sure! My parents like to say I was Montessori from the womb. Both of my parents are in Montessori education — they’re both trained in elementary and adolescent. My mom also worked as a toddler and primary teacher. I attended a primary Montessori school where I was taught by another family member, my aunt, at Countryside Day School. In 7th grade, I moved on to Hershey, and I was at the Hershey farm school (Huntsburg Campus) from 7th-9th grade, when at the time, Hershey did not have an upper school. I then went on to the Montessori high school at University Circle in Cleveland through 12th grade. I then ended up at the University of Delaware for my undergraduate, which I am now just finishing off. There, I studied molecular biology. I participated in a lot of research and am now headed off to the University of Wisconsin to start a PHD program in microbiology in August.
[Paula] Wow, that’s so exciting. So you’ve been accepted into that program?
[Dante] Yeah, I have.
[Paula] Congratulations, and so we have a few topics that we would like you to share some reflections on. When you reflect back on Montessori and your life experiences and environments, how do you think it has affected the path you’re choosing now, how it has contributed to your involvement with the community or the environment? How were you able to adapt to the academic expectations in college after being in Montessori schools? During this time of great challenge with COVID-19, and having to move onto your PHD program, what are some of the things that have helped you navigate challenge?
[Dante] I’ve been in Montessori all my life, up until college, which in a sense I feel like is quite similar to Montessori itself. I think that having had a Montessori education and background really created my excitement and interest for learning. That really is what has determined the trajectory of my academic career as well as I think my professional future. I’m going into research as I said, and really what drew me to research was just the fact that it’s kind of an opportunity to be a student for life. I’m always learning. Before the high school level there were no quantitative grades that I received and I always had control over what I wanted to learn and the paths that I wanted to follow.
[Paula] So as you mentioned that you didn’t have grades when in the younger years of Montessori, you were measuring your own work and choosing your own course of learning.
[Dante] Yes, so I think that the lack of quantitative and comparative evaluation against other students and my ability to choose what I was learning really let me get excited about the material and excited about the learning. I think if I had been receiving scaled feedback early on, it may have discouraged me from really committing to what was really important and that was the content. So I think that was a big part of how I grew to love to learn.
[Paula] When you got grades either in high school or in college, was that hard for you to move into that world?
[Dante] Interestingly, the first formal letter grades that I ever received were in 9th grade at Hershey and I actually was kind of excited. By that point I’d had enough time to learn to love school and really to fall in love with the classroom. I saw them as an opportunity to show my commitment to learning and into the material. It was exciting to see that someone acknowledged my commitment. I found that it was a pretty smooth transition.
[Paula] Did you have any real stretches academically in your undergrad?
[Dante] One of the biggest challenges for a lot of people in college is the shift from high school to college in terms of self-advocacy and the amount of self-advocacy that’s necessary. College almost always is larger than the high school you went to and there are thousands of students and many busy faculty members. You need to advocate for yourself a lot more than you might have in high school. I think people really do struggle with that in college. I think that having so much control and having to take initiative in my own education in the Montessori setting set me up very well to be able to succeed in college. I already knew how to reach out and advocate for myself quite well.
[Paula] Your relationship with your professors, how did you navigate that? It was easy for you to advocate for yourself?
[Dante] I didn’t have really have any trouble with my relationships or any interactions with professors. I generally had very good relationships with professors. Many professors I expect to remain in contact with after I graduate this month. I definitely think that is related to my education beforehand. At Hershey, there was always a very mutually respectful, and I would say mutually invested, relationship between teachers and students. I took that with me as I went on to college and not so much assumed but decided that’s how I wanted it to be in college as well. I would say that I never had any resistance from professors. I didn’t go to every professor’s office hours but when there was something that I wanted to talk about after classes, I would have thirty or forty minute conversations with them. I often got complements from professors about that, which showed that they really did appreciate it.
[Paula] Not every student in college has the confidence to initiate conversation with a teacher or someone that they think, thinks differently to them, and you seem to have ease with that. How about collaboration with peers, what was that like at college level?
[Dante] One aspect of college that is a challenge to many incoming students is moving away from home. One part of that is potential homesickness, and learning to live independently. Another part of this is also living in a physical space with other people. I already had that advantage from living at Hershey and the high school. I think especially having gone to boarding school, it prepared me well for any sort of work I would have to do with my peers in college. I would say I’ve really only had positive relationships with peers in the past four years, and I think a lot of that has to do with the skills I came in with.
[Paula] It sounds like you had the tools you needed to take on challenging problems, and they didn’t become big problems because you seemed to have the tools to manage them.
[Dante] Yes, whether I’d seen the problems before or just had the skills, I was basically able to overcome any hurdles I saw in college.
[Paula] So, a PHD in microbiology, tell us a little bit about that. You’re a passionate learner, you’re curious about everything in the world, from language to science. You’re narrowing down to this specific field, what’s calling to you about it?
[Dante] So a few things sort of guided me down this path into microbiology. I would say first was actually a class specific to viruses. My professor was a very engaging teacher and did a very good job of showing the relevance, and certainly that relevance is clear now we’re living in a situation where a virus is wreaking havoc on the world. The second component was the hardest part of finding out which area of biology I would like to pursue after my undergraduate. I fell in love with biology in ninth grade at Hershey. I can’t say I’ve ever heard another student describe a program that even compares to what I got to do. There was such a huge amount of hands-on learning in all the sciences at Hershey, for example, Occupations — that is very hands-on. To be able to go out into 90 acres of forest and document each class of vertebrate, to understand our own soil, to understand our own watershed. That really got me excited about biology. I like to look at things as a whole, so with humans or with animals in general, it’s very difficult to look at them on a whole organism level because they are just so complicated. With microorganisms, I found that I could look at the whole thing at once and I really like that about it.
[Paula] At that notion, of seeing the whole and that notion of the interaction and interdependence of an organism within an environment and how it works as a whole, seems to be a common thread in alumni that I’m hearing from. To say I don’t want to know just this one thing inside a box, I want to know all the parts and how they interact and relate to each other.
[Dante] Yes, and the idea of how one component fits into a bigger system has a lot to do with the importance of Montessori and the importance of a community that you leave Montessori with. I always think of my own impact on others and my own impact on the community, and that’s definitely true for biological things too.
[Paula] Yes, and my goodness, your contribution to community in your study, its going to contribute to humanity.
[Dante] That was part of the attraction of biomedical research for me. I’ve always known I’ve needed to do something that did something for someone. I think I’m young, but I do think about the impact that people leave after they’re gone on the world, and I really think it’s measured in the impact you’ve had on others. When I think about the science of it, that’s what it boils down to, is you leave some physical matter yes, but how you are remembered is what you are after you’re gone. I just think, well, what is the point, if not to help others have it better?
[Paula] Beautifully said, so you really have a wisdom beyond your years. If I come back and interview you when you’re 90, and I’m wondering… you probably will be saying the same thing. So studying science and studying things like a virus is going to be really meaningful and helpful for us as an entire civilization. Also just how we interact on our earth and how we are effecting all the aspects of the planet and how we can better live on it. During these challenging times, how have you been able to manage your stress?
[Dante] I will say, I do think Montessori has, for this COVID specific situation that we’re in right now, I think Montessori definitely equipped me, in very unique ways, that perhaps other people might not have. That’s really the sense of community membership and seeing yourself in the greater picture — and it matters. What I do really matters. Every little thing can impact someone else, and that’s absolutely true of the situation we’re in right now. I think those raised in Montessori have that advantage in the fact that they already recognize their impact on the world around them. So in a time where it really matters, they’re ready to do their best as citizens of the world.
[Paula] That’s beautiful, that gives me hope. I think you’re a bit of an optimist in a realist because you’re grounded in science and human history. You’ve studied how humans behave and respond, yet I hear an optimistic voice that you’re prepared to change path and the next challenge will give you more information and it’ll keep influencing where you go next. I think at the core, your self-awareness and your awareness of others is a beautiful, powerful thing and that’s influencing your choices and it benefits us all.
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