Deonte Young, the new Director of Student Services, is happy to be in a new school community, pursuing his goal of helping students and working with new people.

“I love a challenge. I love to learn more,” Young said. Now that he is at Longfellow, Young hopes to make students feel welcome and help students feel a sense of belonging when they come through the doors every morning. 

Young, who previously worked with Elementary school students, transitioned to a high school position where he created a mentoring program. The program connected middle and high school students and sparked his interest in working with middle schoolers someday.

“I really wanted to connect in middle school,” Young said. 

He researched Longfellow before accepting the job and liked what he saw. “This was an awesome community. Students thrive, and we inspire excellence here,” he said. 

Counselors in the Student Services Department have welcomed Young, making his transition easy. 

“I just feel [like] I’ve already been here five to six years,” he said. “This was the best decision I’ve made.” 

Young co-founded Alchemy InCoaching in August 2019, an educational and leadership consulting program for grades K-12. 

“The name Alchemy InCoaching came from a book called Alchemy, where the main character tries to find a treasure, but the treasure is inside of him. The story directly correlates to Alchemy InCoaching’s goals for its students,” Young explained. 

The idea was to support students throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas.  Besides Alchemy InCoaching, he has had previous leadership experience. 

“I’ve been able to serve in various leadership roles that have equipped me to be in this position. For one, counselors are leaders already in the building because they handle so many things and try to support so many people. Through those experiences, I’ve been able to grow not only as a professional but also as a human being in general,” Young said.

He completed a Bachelor’s degree in political science with visions of one day being the President.   

“When I graduated, I didn’t quite find a job I really liked or that I really wanted within politics, but I knew I still wanted to be a change agent and help other people,” he said.  

It was his advisor at VCU that recommended a route in counseling. 

“In college, I was always volunteering; with my fraternity, we would go to schools and volunteer and help students, and I really like doing that,” Young said. 

After checking out the VCU program, he decided to get a Master’s of Education and later a second Masters at George Mason University in Education Leadership.

Young started his counseling career at Potomac View Elementary in Prince William County and then transitioned to Fairfax County. He worked at various Fairfax County schools, such as Weyanoke Elementary, Falls Church High, and West Springfield High. Nine years of hopping around schools later, Young is at Longfellow as the new Student Services Director, set on achieving his goal of aiding students and bringing together the Longfellow community.