Q&A with Anna Maria Montuori ’68Ed, ’70GEd, ’82PD, President’s Medal Award Recipient

St. John’s University’s annual Alumni Convocation ceremony, held on the Queens, NY, campus on October 21, recognized nine graduates for their personal and professional accomplishments. Among the honorees was Anna Maria Montuori ’68Ed, ’70GEd, ’82PD, retired teacher, North Babylon School District, and current Adjunct Assistant Professor, The School of Education.

Tell us about yourself and your affiliation with St. John’s University, particularly The School of Education.

I attended St. John’s on a four-year academic scholarship and majored in elementary education. I graduated in 1968 with a B.S. in Education and immediately continued working on my master’s and later, my Professional Diploma in Child Psychology.

In the 1980s, I joined The School of Education Alumni Association. I was instrumental in organizing the Maureen A. Hartigan Forum to mentor prospective teachers on how to prepare a résumé and conduct themselves during a job interview. I’m proud that the Hartigan Forum continues today.

At present, I am the Chairperson of the Alumni Advisory Board and a member of the Loughlin and McCallen Societies.

How has a St. John’s education impacted your career path?

My St. John’s education has impacted my career very strongly. The wonderful professors and the strong curriculum prepared me to enter the classroom with confidence on day one. My St. John’s experiences inspired me never to stop searching for ways to engage my students and to keep up with the latest “trends” in education. I became a bilingual psychological consultant and earned a degree in educational administration from Long Island University. 

Some might say I’m still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. In addition, the Vincentian mission seems to be ingrained in me. I am very grateful for my God-given skills and my strong desire to give back—not just to alma mater, but to wherever there appears to be a need, especially if it involves children.

How will you use this award to impact the lives of others following in your footsteps?

I am so honored to receive the President’s Medal. As to how I will use it to impact the lives of others is a tough question. One of my earliest education professors coined a phrase that has stayed with me, “Attitudes are caught; they cannot be taught.” My hope is that I can impact others by being a role model.

If you could do one thing, leave one mark on the teaching profession (in the business world or academia), what would it be?

If I could leave one mark on the teaching profession, it would be to inspire all educators to have a passion for what they do. If you love what you are doing, it will seem as if you never worked a day in your life.

Can you speak to a teacher/mentor who impacted or set you on your current path? 

There have been so many excellent teachers/mentors, from kindergarten to my postgraduate studies, that it would be very difficult to choose one who was the most influential. However, the person who inspired and impacted me the most was my maternal Aunt Margaret. She was the driving force who always helped me with my studies, lifted me up when I was down, and kept me on track to move forward and develop not just my academic skills, but also my Christian values.

What’s next?

It is tough to predict what will come next, but certainly I will continue to be one of The School of Education’s biggest cheerleaders. Some of my proudest achievements are the continuing relationships I have with my former students and their families. I have been blessed. To paraphrase Dr. Seuss, “And to think”—it all started at St. John’s.