Lara Ergodus-Brady, Class of 2016
Carving Her Own Path in Dressage
In Wellington, Florida—known as “the winter equestrian capital of the world”—Lara Erdogus-Brady has turned her lifelong passion for horses into a thriving career. Specializing in dressage, which she describes as “the art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance,” Lara’s journey has been anything but conventional. With the unwavering support of her parents and the foundation of her Montessori education at Oak Meadow, she has forged a path uniquely her own.
A Nontraditional Educational Journey
After graduating from Oak Meadow in 2016, Lara attended The Bromfield School in Harvard, MA. Midway through her sophomore year, she was presented with an opportunity to relocate to Wellington to assist at a dressage facility. “Bromfield let me do school online,” she explains, which allowed her to gain invaluable hands-on experience while continuing her education.
After completing her coursework, she was offered a job in New Jersey, where she continued high school full-time online through Laurel Springs, an accredited private K–12 school. She also spent a summer working full-time for an equestrian trainer, further solidifying her expertise. In her junior year, Lara returned to Bromfield and graduated in 2020, completing her studies remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting on her unconventional high school experience, Lara wrote her college application essay about “all the paths [she] took throughout [her] journey.”
Blending Education with Passion
Lara began her undergraduate studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, initially pursuing a political science major before switching to psychology. However, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped her college experience, as she started her freshman year online. By her second semester, she was able to attend in person, but when the opportunity arose to return to Wellington for winter break, she extended her stay and continued her UMass coursework remotely.
By her junior year, Lara secured a position at a “high-profile barn in Wellington.” The demands of her work led her to take a semester off from school, as she “would not have been able to put the time and effort into both.” What started as a temporary job quickly evolved into a full-fledged career. “I found myself gaining clients in the space I ultimately wanted to be working in—training and selling horses,” she shares. This unexpected yet fulfilling path became “something very sustainable, taking up the majority of [her] time.”
Recognizing her momentum in the equestrian world, Lara made the decision to pause traditional college but later enrolled in Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) online program. Now, she is working toward completing her psychology degree while continuing to build her career in dressage.
The Impact of Oak Meadow Montessori School
When asked about Oak Meadow’s influence on her journey, Lara’s response is heartfelt and clear: “There are so many paths I could take to answer that question,” she says, “but Montessori was my foundational education.”
She credits Oak Meadow with instilling in her the confidence to take an unconventional route. “Learning the way you learn in a Montessori program gave me the adaptability in my mindset to not worry about making my own path.” She describes Montessori as unique because it “gives kids a space to learn where they are taking the initiative and have accountability for a lot of the things they are learning,” which fosters “a very independent mindset.” Lara believes her Oak Meadow experience “gave [her] the foundation to have the courage to make the choices [she] has.”
Lara’s passion for horses was nurtured from an early age, and she fondly recalls that Oak Meadow’s campus was next door to a dressage training facility. She had the opportunity to work with the owner, an experience that has now “come full circle” in her professional life.
She also expresses deep gratitude for her parents, saying, “I also want to credit my parents for allowing me to make the choices I have and for their ongoing support.”
Lara’s journey is a testament to the power of following one’s passion, embracing nontraditional opportunities, and trusting the process. Her story is still unfolding, and she continues to make her mark in the equestrian world.
