Alumni Spotlight: How Cornerstone Shaped Glen Rice ‘90
Glen Rice 90’ with his children and wife Susie
Glen Rice is Cornerstone’s first ever graduate and has expressed that, although he graduated in 1990, he still uses his early education almost daily. Glen had the unique point of view of watching Cornerstone turn from a house with two classrooms into today’s beautiful 11 acre campus. Today, Cornerstone features light-filled classrooms for toddlers up to middle school students all set in idyllic Stratham, NH.
Glen Rice graduating with the first class of Juniors at Cornerstone in 1990.
“How I approach work everyday is influenced by my Montessori education. You have to be an out of the box thinker.”
Glen’s time at Cornerstone taught him to take ownership of his educational journey, to find areas of growth while building on areas of confidence. Being in a Montessori school, Glen was able to have the opportunity to take his learning to the greater community and put his education in action. He spoke fondly of the “going outs” they were able to have, due to the importance of putting lessons into action. This meant camping trips where everything from tents to the meals involved the children.
Glen deeply appreciated the support he received during his Junior Class years. He felt that the thoughtful feedback from his teachers set him up for success as he transitioned to high school. This guidance, paired with his ownership of his own learning, allowed that transition to be a smooth and confident one.
Now a parent at the school, Glen has the opportunity to watch his sons explore what it means to be Montessori students. He sees supportive teachers in action each day and deeply appreciates the strong level of communication between families and educators. “What I know about Cornerstone comes from both a student’s perspective and a parent’s perspective, that’s the education I know. The Montessori experience is invaluable in building a whole person.”
Glen Rice is currently technical team lead of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey National Bathymetric Source Program. He previously served aboard the NOAA Hydrographic Ships Fairweather and Rude as a NOAA CORPS officer. Glen also worked for Coast Survey's Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping Center where he focused on seafloor acoustic backscatter, and also at HSTB on sonar acceptance for NOAA. Glen has a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Ocean Engineering from the University of New Hampshire.