Cheryll Ruszat

Member of Dean’s Advisory Board
School of Education

February 1, 2010

Cheryll Ruszat grew up with a very clear mission – to teach – and she has been doing just that for nearly 40 years! Her passion? Montessori Education. Cheryll found Montessori education for her own two children when they were preschoolers and, as she says, “My children grew up but I stayed behind!”

Cheryll has been a national and local presenter and will sit for hours on end explaining why the early childhood years are so significant and make such an impact on lifelong learning. But she doesn’t just talk. Cheryll is the Executive Director of the Montessori Schools of Irvine, one of the largest private early childhood education programs in California.

Montessori Schools of Irvine exists to provide the highest quality of early childhood education and care available – anywhere.

All four of her schools are nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and affiliated with the American Montessori Society. One of the schools, the University Montessori School of Irvine, right on the UCI campus, was the first public- private partnership in the Nation. This Montessori School has won two architectural awards and serves the child care needs of University staff and faculty.

Cheryll’s greatest rewards have been found in the many families who contact her to tell her how well their children are doing both academically and in life or when her students return with their own young children. Recently, two previous students become engaged to be married at one of her schools after rediscovering each other in law school!

Cheryll is very cognizant of the fact that it takes a well trained and talented teacher to provide a quality educational experience. Rather than leave anything to chance, Cheryll created the University Montessori Teacher Training Program at UC Irvine to train Montessori teachers in this wonderful method of teaching. Her efforts won her the Instructor of Excellence award from UC Irvine Extension. This training program has been run annually for the past 19 years.

Cheryl’s dedication to education doesn’t end with her own vocational efforts. She and her husband Richard have been avid supporters of the many extraordinary educational activities of the University of California, Irvine. The couple has acted as the Co-Presidents of the UC Irvine Chancellor’s Club for several years. This is one of the premier support organizations on the campus and provides unrestricted funds for the Chancellor as well as scholarships and fellowships for UC Irvine students. They have been Co-Chairs for the UC Irvine Medal, which is a major fund raising event for scholarships and both are UC Irvine Foundation Trustees.

As a committed early childhood educator, Cheryll is only too happy to share her favorite Montessori quote:

The child is truly a miraculous being, and this should be felt deeply by the educator. (Montessori, Maria [1994]. The Absorbent Mind. Oxford, UK: Clio Press, p. 121)

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