Graduation Speech by Ariel Henry
Jul 10, 2014
grads9th year class in Italy: Ariel Henry, Jacy Wilson, Molly Block, Aniz Anderson, Bernard Zitzewitz with Kathy Willis and Colin Palombi

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ― Apple

This is what Montessori is to me – more importantly, this is what the Blue House means to me. We are different, every one of us; and, frankly, most of us are pretty strange. But Montessori cherishes that. They see something in us that, most of the time, we cannot even make out ourselves. They make us more independent and freethinking. They are allowing us to grow so we can change the world. They let us be who we are.

When the world holds up this big sign that says “Be yourself” we know that the world will not stand by it. We know we will be judged by society. But at the Blue House, society falls through the cracks in the squeaky wooden floors. We can be ourselves. We can meet our heart’s desires from interpretive dances in the halls to SNL skit reenactments, and I would like to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to do so.

This school gives students a chance to find themselves. To improve. To fail and then rise again eight times stronger. To question authority. To gain responsibility. To listen then reply. To help others in need. To find their strengths but still remember their weaknesses. To test their limits. To leave their mark. This school, this crazy, one of a kind school, is where people can fly.

Montessori finds the misfits. “The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.” And they see genius. Why? Because they know the “people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

By Teresa Pavelich 22 Mar, 2024
A wonderful and successful student fundraiser!
By Teresa Pavelich 07 Mar, 2024
Age 6 and age 12 in Montessori are referred to as the capstone years. During these years children really dive into big work and develop their self-confidence.
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