2019 graduate, Aubryn speaks out about her ten years at Bridgeview Montessori during her graduation speech last spring. Aubryn has one of those fall birthdays that allowed her to spend four years in Children’s House. On a personal note, hers is one of the very first families I admitted to Bridgeview Montessori when I began in my role as Director of Admissions. We have been learning side by side for a long time.

My name is Aubryn, and ever since I was 2 years and 9 months old I have gone to Bridgeview Montessori School. I came in later during the first week, and I cried under the table once I left my mom’s arms. I felt so alone “Why would she leave me?” I thought, as the fear of being alone washed over my body. I watched as all of these kids shook hands with each other; they were perfectly comfortable. Then a boy walked over to me,
“Are you okay?” he asked, and I got out from underneath the table. Ever since that day, Bridgeview has been my home…as it will always be.

The first challenge I faced when first going to school was my friends. There was this one girl named Natalia; she was really nice, and I wanted her to be my friend, but I was scared. What if she didn’t like me, what if I get embarrassed in front of the whole class! I was so nervous. Then one day, I had just arrived in the Yellow Room, and Natalia and a few other classmates where all huddled together around a work. I had made up my mind. I was going to ask, so i walked up to her, tapped her on the shoulder, and said, probably extremely quietly,
“Will you be my friend?”

“Sure.” she said. And I turned around and walked away, flabbergasted.

Ever since that day, it has been easier to make friends. I even cried to my parents about how everyone wanted to be my friend, and how I already had so many friends!

This school has taught me to treat every animal, person, and our whole world with kindness and equality. The school’s traditions became mine; it’s materials became mine. But, it didn’t happen overnight. I remember once in First Year I was coloring a picture for this story I wrote. I was coloring it in with craypas from the art room when we were told to clean up. I didn’t want to so I colored for a little longer after the teachers had told me to stop and put the craypas away with this other girl named Maryelle. Once she left the Art Studio I took out my drawing and started to color again. One of the teachers came into the room and told me to wait in the chair next to Suzanne’s desk. I was so embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I wished I could take it back, but I knew I couldn’t. I learned from this experience, and when the teacher came back, all I did was apologize and say I would never do it again, and I never did.

In the years that followed I helped add artwork and color to our school’s community. We have field trips that help us learn and bring our class closer together as a family. I will forever miss being taught by all of the wonderful, kind, and extraordinarily helpful teachers.

Being here throughout my life has changed the way I think, act, and communicate. This experience has taught me how to bring people together with words if their actions had torn them apart. The lessons I learned were not just academic, they were lessons that we will use all our lives. My time spent here was long, and hard, but also fun and helpful, and it pains me to have it fly by. It seems like yesterday when I was being invited by Tiffany to go to the Art Studio and getting a lesson about the timeline with Margaret. Thanks to all my teaches I was able to mature to the person I am today, and no words I say could express the smallest fragment of my gratitude and respect for you.

Next year, for the first time I will be going to a different school, but under no circumstances will I not be there to hold my little sister’s hand when she starts her journey here. Bridgeview is the most amazing school I’ve ever gone to and ever will go to, but it is time for me to leave.