School and family are the biggest parts of most students’ lives, but they’re usually separate. Until this year, that wasn’t the case for Freshman Lilly Ramalingam.

Ramalingam attended Ramalynn Montessori Academy at the Bloomington, Minn. campus from age two until grade eight.

“It was really small, so we were all kinda like a family,” Ramalingam said.

This center for active learning enrolls approximately 180 students. Not only were her classmates like family, but her own family has also owned the school for its thirty year history.

Ramlingam said that the Montessori education taught her acceptance for everyone.