What alumni say

When I worked at the United Nations, my colleagues were amazed at the depth of my geography knowledge. I remember doing the world puzzle maps in first grade at Chiaravalle. Each country was made from a little piece of wood that fit into a larger wooden puzzle of the continent. The maps were colorful and it was fun to take the countries out and put them in again. It was easy to see how they interlocked with one another and remember their locations. My teachers quickly recognized that I was fascinated with geography and put me on an accelerated path that allowed me to learn every country — even the tiniest islands —within about a year. It wasn't until I left Chiaravalle, that I realized how rare it is to be in a place where people really enjoy learning. — Joe Geni (Class of 1997) 

At Chiaravalle, every day, my preschool classmates and I had little activities to do: organizing objects by shape and color, or spooning pom-poms from one dish to another. At the start of each activity I had to get out a little white rug. I would unroll the rug, and then proceed to carry out my project on it. Upon finishing the task, I would put the materials away in their proper place. Only then could I roll the rug back up and return it to its cubby. Even today, this is the way I organize all the things I do. Though I no longer have little white rugs to put all my projects on, the idea of containing each activity, and cleaning it up when I’m done, is something I have taken to heart. Now, as a theater major at Northwestern University, I am still using the tools and confidence Chiaravalle gave me.

— Rachel Birnbaum (Class of 2005)