Famous Montessori Graduates
The teaching style of Dr. Maria Montessori is meant to spark creativity, initiative, and self-confidence in children. With that in mind, it is no wonder that there are so many notable former Montessori students. Below is a list of just a few Montessori students you may have heard of.
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google
- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Nobel Prize-winning novelist
- Anne Frank, famous child diarist from World War II
- Prince William and Prince Harry, sons of Charles, Prince of Wales
- Melissa and Sarah Gilbert, actresses
- Sean Combs, famous rapper
- Julia Child, first TV chef
- Helen Hunt, Academy Award winning actress
- George Clooney, Academy Award winning actor
- David Blaine, magician (also sent his children to a Montessori school)
- Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill & Hillary Clinton
- Dakota Fanning, Academy Award nominated actress
- Larry Page and Sergey Brin credit their success to attending a Montessori Preschool that taught them to think outside the box. Check out the video below to see what they had to say.
Famous Montessori Advocates
Along with many notable former students, the Montessori method has had many notable advocates. These famous people have seen the advantages of the Montessori method, and done what they could to share this knowledge with others. Here are some notable people, and their ties to Montessori.
- Thomas Edison, scientist and founder of a Montessori school
- Mr. Rogers, TV personality and strong supporter of Montessori education
- Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist and head of the Swiss Montessori Society
- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor and founder of the first Montessori class in Canada, and one of the first Montessori schools in the United States
- Woodrow Wilson, US President and had a Montessori classroom in the basement of the White House that was taught by his daughter, a Montessori trained teacher
- Michael Douglas, actor and sent his children to a Montessori school
- Willie Nelson, musician and has a Montessori school on his ranch