Reverend Mark S. Thompson, Mentoring & Community Services Coordinator, Wicomico County Board of Education
The Reverend Mark S. Thompson acknowledges a world changed since his own childhood, and has long been on a course to both guide this new generation and encourage others to follow his lead. While working as director of the Salvation Army several years ago, Thompson became exposed to a few crucial elements of which some area students were in need. “I witnessed how many of our youth were lacking basic soft skills needed to be successful–such as greeting people in a kind manner, understanding how proper manners needed to be used whenever you are in public, and just plan courtesy towards others.” It was also during this time that Thompson was serving as Wicomico County School Board President when he sat in on the Junior Achievement third grade program, JA Our City. He noted the high engagement level of the participating children. “Years later when I became coordinator of youth programs I knew JA would be a good addition to our programming.”
The main drive of Thompson’s work is to reach young persons that the community may have already given up on, and give them not just hope that they can reach higher, but provide tools to fulfill that goal. He aims to provide these youth with the necessary skills to be successful both in school and after graduation. There is a sense of elevation of self in Thompson’s work, a desire to bring students and their families to expect a higher level of achievement than that which they may have been accustomed to.
“A county is no better than their weakest person in the community.”
By building up students to success, the entire community profits. Thompson notes it is not helpful to reminisce about the good old days of one’s own youth and do nothing for the current generation. “Start talking to your friends about being part of the solution in helping our young people achieve,” he states. “Just remember, these will be the youth taking care of us one day!”
James Holbrook, Assistant Coordinator, Project Success
James Holbrook is the assistant coordinator for Project Success, a program in Wicomico County Public Schools which provides workforce readiness and financial literacy training to students enrolled in the program. Holbrook is actively involved in bringing Junior Achievement programs to his students, and serves as the program liasion between Junior Achievement and the students.
Holbrook believes exposure to the JA pillars of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship helps youth become aware of the possibilities for success as adults, and notes the direct benefit this type of education has on the financial well being of the entire community. “It would have a positive impact on the Eastern shore as a whole due to having more trained youth prepared to enter the workforce.”
Along with the need for training youth to become successful adults, Holbrook also reinforces the need for adults to volunteer to work with them. “Once others see the impact of providing these opportunities to our youth I feel others may want to join in.”
When asked about what meaningful impact his work has had on students, Holbrook stated, “It is very humbling to have students come back and thank you for just giving them an opportunity to obtain knowledge they otherwise wouldn’t have received. Letting you know that ‘I got job on my own after just one interview.’ It is vitally important to give our youth a sense of hope and self worth to let them know that they can accomplish anything.”
Biographies:
Reverend Mark S. Thompson, M.Ed. was born in Erie, PA to the parents of the Reverend Frederick and Frances Thompson. Reverend Thompson received his BS Degree in Industrial Management from Gannon University in Erie. Following graduation, he was employed by Federal Express Corporation as a courier, then promoted and moved through the ranks quickly as a manager in Pittsburgh, PA, Washington DC and Salisbury, MD where he was responsible for the entire Eastern Shore. When he moved to the Eastern Shore in 1996, he accepted the call to the ministry at First Baptist Church in Salisbury and served there in many capacities. He is continuing that service at Emmanuel Wesleyan Church in Salisbury where he serves as Outreach Pastor for the Adopt-A-Block Ministry.
Ministry (serving people) is very important to him as he volunteers as a Chaplin at Coastal Hospice; serves on numerous boards in Salisbury including Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Wicomico County, Wicomico Housing Authority, Village of Hope, Salisbury Urban Ministries, Horizons, Lower Eastern Shore Children’s Center and the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore to name a few along with being a former member of the Salisbury Rotary Club. He resigned from Fed Ex in August of 2004 with 23 years of service to become the Executive Director of the West Salisbury Youth Club, now called the Richard Hazel Youth Center of the Salvation Army. There he established many successful youth programs for a variety of different needs in the community including implementing a program called the New Day Youth Development Center for students who were suspended or expelled from school. In April 2008 he was reassigned to become Director of the Eastside Salvation Army where he continued to serve the youth of the community.
In June 2005 he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland to serve on the Board of Education for Wicomico County. He was elected vice president of the board in 2006 and president in 2008.
He received his Master of Education Degree from Wilmington University in December 2010 and is working as the Mentoring & Community Services Coordinator for Wicomico County Board of Education.
He and his wife Felicia are the proud parents of David 23, and Joshua 19.
He lives by the song ‘If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.”
James Holbrook is a Salisbury, MD native with a wife, three daughters, two granddaughters, and one grandson. James volunteers on various different projects in the community, and also serves as the bingo caller in a Princess Anne nursing home. He encourages others to become involved with mentoring programs such as Junior Achievement and Project Success, because, “Once others see the impact of providing these opportunities to our youth I feel others may want join in.”
Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore 