GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- At Grand Rapids Montessori Academy, Roni Van Buren helps to bridge the gap between past and present, scholar and educator, community and classroom. With deep roots at GRPS, Van Buren brings a personal passion to community building into every corner of the school library.
“I am a people person,” Van Buren said. She serves as an Instructional Paraprofessional at Grand Rapids Montessori Academy. “My joy is in engaging with my students, parents, and staff to create and maintain a positive learning environment.”
Van Buren was once a student herself at GRPS, an experience she credits with sparking her lifelong love of learning.
“I was educated at GRPS as a young person. That experience shaped my love for learning and passing it on to the community I live in and serve,” she said.
Van Buren previously served as a community organizer with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Her work brought her into local schools.
“One of the project collaborators offered me a position with GRPS,” Van Buren shared. “I believe in the axiom ‘be the change you want to see in the world.’”
Today, she channels that philosophy into her work at Grand Rapids Montessori, fostering a supportive space where scholars thrive.
“For me, it is an issue of reciprocity,” she said. “I am giving back to the community that supported me as a youth, with hopes of providing the same wonderful experiences for our local youth.”
Van Buren’s story is a testament to the power of community and coming full circle to serve the place that helped shape who you become.
