YCC assistant Kay Lawson is the quiet veteran Montessorian of Mountain Shadows. She founded and directed her own Montessori school for 25 years in Estes Park prior to “retiring” to Mountain Shadows in 2012. She started her Montessori career at Xavier University in her hometown of Cincinnati. She completed training in primary and infant/ toddler through Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education Administration, and holds Colorado Child Care Director’s certification.
Describe yourself in a nutshell: A squirrel – I love to eat, move, and be outdoors.
You’re from the Buckeye State, how did you end up in Boulder County? Technically, I moved to Denver County and then to Larimer. I came for love and stayed for the open sky.
What books are on your nightstand: Trailposts (a series of short essays on California’s State Parks), The Invention of Wings, and Eckert Tolle’s A New Earth.
Your guilty pleasure is: A good IPA.
You are a self-proclaimed foodie. What are your favorite dishes to prepare? Anything with fresh seasonal vegetables, especially pasta.
What item is ALWAYS in your refrigerator: Chile garlic paste.
Your favorite book/movie as a child was: The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Your most unusual job held: I packed school uniforms in a factory for a few weeks.
You lived in Estes Park during the September ’13 floods. What do remember most about that historic event? After being evacuated from our house and seeing the water running across the main street, I remember awakening to morning thunderstorms for three straight days.
Your favorite Estes Park activity: Hiking.
What part of the drive from Estes Park to Boulder is your favorite? The part where I’m not behind someone slower than I drive!
If you could be any Crayola crayon color what would you be and why? Sunset Rose because sunsets and sunrises are my favorite times of day.
What is your “Montessori Moment”? The “aha” moment when a child is working independently and discovers he can do it by himself.
You have been a Montessorian most of your adult life. How have you seen the mindset of the philosophy change/grow as an educational option? I think the most exciting developments I have witnessed are the validations of Montessori’s observations in modern brain research.
If you weren’t teaching you would be: A cook for an adventure guiding company in the wilderness.
You never turn down: Chocolate.
What do you like to do in your free time? Cook, hike, backpack, travel, eat, drink, and be merry!
What is your favorite vacation destination and why? It’s a toss up between back country Alaska and California for the food, wine, ocean, and mountains.
The most trusted advice given to you? Don’t get too attached to the outcome.