2 MIN READ
Values Ambassador Spotlight: Demaj Thompson
Nominated by: William Zuiss
Value: Excellence
Walking through the Heartspring Therapeutic Residential & Day School, you might pass Demaj in the hall, known to carry a smile on his face and grace in his heart. His positivity and cheerful attitude radiate across campus and influence others to see the bright side of things.
“He keeps showing staff and students what’s possible,” says William Zuiss, Heartspring’s adapted physical education teacher. “People can get complacent or stagnate, but he’s always pushing progress.”
Victoria Reyes, Heartspring’s lead special education teacher, says Demaj’s grown a lot since he first stepped into her classroom nearly three years ago.
“He leads by example and volunteers for potentially difficult situations or addressing students’ struggles,” Reyes says. “He acknowledges the team’s anxiety ahead of new challenges, encourages them, and supports them at every opportunity.”
When it comes to his professional and personal growth, Demaj’s not satisfied with settling. He holds the same expectations for our students and staff.
“You push the people you care about,” Demaj says. “You believe they can do it, and don’t let them accept the limitations they’ve set for themselves.”
Demaj describes a student with particularly challenging interfering behaviors, saying, “I knew he had the potential; someone just had to give him the chance.”
At Heartspring, our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, and unfortunately, some of them know what it’s like for staff to give up on them or to shy away from them after a tough moment. But Demaj works so that every student understands that he’ll still be there for them, no matter the circumstances.
Demaj’s faith guides his philosophy, and he uses the lessons he’s learned to help others, especially if it involves stepping outside of comfort zones.
“Come humble. Listen and learn,” Demaj says. “We’re forever learning, and we can’t always sit in a box. We deal with comfortability, but we have a job to do. We’re trusted with something bigger than us.”
To Demaj, being a paraprofessional in our therapeutic school is more than a job or paycheck, it’s a purpose.
“When you find your calling, you don’t get bored. I was meant to be here.” Demaj Thompson
His passion for helping our students succeed drives his desire to work at Heartspring. He could have stayed comfortable in his previous role, but he wanted something more — he wanted to make a difference.
“These kids go through things we could never imagine, and I don’t want them to have to deal with these struggles on their own,” Demaj says. “If you pour into them, they’ll pour back into you as well. It gets you through the day sometimes.”
