Matthew Chipman
Woodland Montessori

Matthew’s father, Del, wrote: “We are so pleased with where Matthew is now as a student, athlete, and, most importantly, a young man. A large amount of what he is becoming is a result of the years he spent at Woodland Montessori. Woodland Montessori taught Matt the lesson of working with others, whether that was classmates or the teacher.

He learned that success comes from holding yourself to a high standard in the work you do every day in class, that so many “little things” add up over the course of years and will lead to a big success. He learned that it is important to dream a big dream and then work toward it- particularly when it gets hard and it doesn’t seem like you will make it, he learned that is the time when you get to push yourself and make your dream happen.

He learned to appreciate everyone who has supported and assisted him, both in the classroom and on the athletic field. It has been a very large group of people who have had a large and important part in getting Matt and every Montessori student to a point where they are today. But, perhaps most importantly, he learned when to use his inside voice.

Matt played rugby at Jesuit, and was a member of the High School All American rugby team. He has also been a cheerleader at Jesuit for the last three years. In addition, he has been a member of Operation Smile, a campus club that raises money to pay for surgeries to correct cleft palate problems for children in third world countries.

Matt also has been an ambassador for Jesuit travelling to many of the junior highs in the region to introduce boys to the mission and advantage of attending Jesuit. Matt has been an honor roll student every semester at Jesuit. Matt is deciding whether he will focus on a biology/chemistry major or study at the Haas School of Business at Cal.”