Emma Scornavacchi

"It sounds over-the-top but, when I think of Gladwyne Montessori, I just think of love,” admits Emma Scornavacchi from her New York City apartment. “Truly, I do. School was such a warm, special place for me back then. I still think of it that way now.”

Scornavacchi spent her early years at Gladwyne Montessori, from the time she was 2 years-old all the way through third grade. She eventually left to attend Shipley for middle and high school, but credits her time at Gladwyne Montessori with laying the foundation for many of the professional and personal strengths she boasts today. 

After earning her undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 2019, she quickly landed a position as a language strategist with Maslansky + Partners in downtown Manhattan. Scornavacchi now spends long days doing highly theoretical work with a team of “type A” creative collaborators. 

"We help companies express complicated operations or concepts to large, diverse audiences. It’s a pretty niche market,” she explains. “But there’s a real need for these types of communications to be approached with strategy and thoughtfulness.”

Scornavacchi and her colleagues spend hours mapping out their approach to expressive language on whiteboards and with colorful collages of post-it notes in their conference rooms. When contemplating why it is she tends to gravitate toward groups of passionate, strategic thinkers, she recalls becoming a “good learner” at Gladwyne Montessori.

"I was so receptive to learning while I was there and that has really carried through my life so far,” she remembers. “Instead of just listening, I was doing. It made me so collaborative.”

"Being in a mentor role [in third grade] was so empowering and really honed my leadership skills,” she continues. “But all the work I did leading up to that made me a good team player, too. It’s really beneficial to be able to do both at once.”

This duality has ultimately helped Scornavacchi realize how essential the experiences of others are to being a good leader and colleague.

"Learning everything you can from the people around you—especially those who are so completely different from you—will make you better and stronger in every way,” she emphasizes. “It will strengthen the way you think, write, speak. It will help you in every walk of life.”

When asked to name an accomplishment she is most proud of, Scornavacchi hesitates before responding with a broad grin. “I could talk about my college thesis or any of the projects I’m doing at work,” she sighs. “But if I’m being honest, what I am most proud is being a good friend, being a good daughter—that’s really what matters to me at the end of the day.”