Above Nav Container

Utility Container

Search Trigger (Container)

Button (Container)

Button (Container)

Button (Container)

Mobile Menu Trigger (container)

Off Canvas Navigation Container

Close Trigger (container)

Search

Alumni profiles

Lucy Benson
Lucy Benson

Small town life suits Lucy Benson. She works as a digital marketing specialist and web designer just off Main Street in Westminster, Maryland, down the street from her alma mater, McDaniel College - a liberal arts college known for its small class sizes. 

“I tell people it’s like ‘Gilmore Girls,’” she said. “It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone. My boss is the mayor.”

When she traces the path that led her to her current digital marketing job, she realizes how much her WMS roots set the stage for many of the choices she made along the way. She’s always gravitated toward communities that offer a “family feel.”

“Whenever I think about Montessori I just smile because it was such a happy period of my childhood and completely shaped who I am,” she said.

After graduating from WMS in 2007, Lucy attended middle and high school at Sanford School, where she enjoyed a similar small-group learning environment. And when it came to choosing a college, Lucy was immediately struck by McDaniel’s small size and how it reminded her of WMS. 

“The professors really get to know you one-on-one and are really invested in your journey and how you’re doing,” she said. “They still reach out to me even though I graduated two years ago.”

She also appreciated the flexibility of McDaniel’s liberal arts curriculum.” It gave me more freedom to decide what I wanted to study,” she said.

Ultimately, Lucy chose to major in Spanish, with a minor in art, but digital marketing and web design were far from her radar. “I was thinking about teaching or I don’t know - I really fell into the tech world,” she said.

Through running track at McDaniel, Lucy landed an internship at the local running store, Run Moore, and began helping with social media, graphic design and photography. She also took some graphic design classes at McDaniel, and participated in a hackathon, where she met one of her future bosses. 

When Gauge Digital Media (conveniently located next door to Run Moore) offered her a job as a digital marketing specialist upon her graduation from McDaniel in 2017, she jumped at the opportunity. 

“I really wanted to get a job so I could afford my own dog,” she said.

She got that dog - a sheepadoodle named Maisy. But she was also happy to embark on a career in digital marketing and hone her graphic and web design skills on the job. She creates websites for businesses ranging from plumbing to spas, and enjoys having freedom to add her creative touch.

“Montessori taught me flexibility and how to approach anything with a new perspective,” she said. “We all think differently - think outside the box. I don’t think there is anyone I know from Montessori that doesn’t have a creative streak.”


Upcoming Alumni Events