Vincent Carter-Bey, director of student support at The SEED School of Maryland reflects on the history of SEED Maryland and his personal journey of fourteen years with SEED.
Together the SEED Foundation is celebrating over 25 years of shaping the lives of students, families and staff members across the SEED Network. Our to and through mission has given so many students an opportunity to be successful both academically and professionally. When I reflect on the progression of SEED MD and the amazing experiences I've had during my tenure here, I think of old saying the phrase “you need to know where you came from to know where you are going”..
In August of 2008 The SEED School of Maryland opened its doors to roughly 80 sixth-grade students and families at 200 Font Hill Avenue in Baltimore, a site with its own history. SEED MD took over the vacant property formerly known as Southwestern Senior High school. Southwestern was a Baltimore City public school that opened in 1971 and closed in 2007. It was one of Baltimore city's largest high schools, and at one point they were the host to multiple schools due to city school renovations. Southwestern’s mascot was the Saber and their school colors were burgundy and gold which SEED MD adopted—and we still have the original burgundy and gold wall in our gym. Not long after the closing of Southwestern, Baltimore city leased the property to The SEED School of Maryland. SEED was the first public boarding school in the state, and was getting attention across all the counties within Maryland. It was new for our state, but luckily we had our sister school in DC we could lean on for guidance. As you can imagine, or have witnessed, onboarding the first class to experience a public boarding school in the state is a huge accomplishment. The thought that a public school would provide support, services, and a safe 24-hour, five-day-a-week learning environment was mind blowing for our community. The school had a mission focused on college and beyond that allowed students to live, learn, and succeed without the typical distractions or barriers they could face in their neighborhood settings. SEED is special and there is no place like it. Although SEED MD inherited a building in a system that was faced with challenges, our mission was the foundation of the culture established at SEED and that’s why we are here still celebrating our wins as a school and a network.
The idea that your school will grow from 80 to 400 students was overwhelming, and it seemed like light years away, but the years went by fast.. SEED MD’s beautiful 52-acre campus has come a long way since 2008! It’s hard to fathom that we were all learning and in office spaces stationed in trailers. We had one shared dorm, empty fields of dirt/grass, a portable outdoor basketball goal hanging on a limb, and Whiting-Turner signs everywhere you looked on campus. Whiting-Turner was the construction company working on our campus renovation projects. They started with dorm B, moved to the academic building, followed up with the dining hall and finished the gym. To this day, Bill Whiting is an active member of our board of trustees who continues to work with SEED MD on campus projects.
Before the additional funding to do external opportunities like international travel and overnight camps, our staff had to get creative, which is what led to the start of camp Stovall. It is one of my fondest memories. Students would get excited in the spring to participate in Mr. Stovall’s annual overnight camp on the field. This reminded me that it's not about the amount of money or material things that establish your culture, it's the people in the building that care, who foster and build positive relationships and who provide meaningful, memorable experiences.
In 2009, my journey with SEED began as a Student Life Counselor. I was ecstatic to be a part of something so special and I built great bonds with my Virginia Tech boys, but at the time I didn't realize how much SEED was actually helping me. Who would have known that those experiences would have helped me to be a better father, a better man, and a better professional. I was blessed with great supervisors, leaders, and mentors to support my growth within the organization, and for that I am truly grateful. The ability to be a part of students’ development and watch them grow is my satisfaction. The icing on the cake is watching students I met in 6th grade walk across the stage as seniors with several college and university acceptances. It is a surreal feeling to know that you played a part in their accomplishments.
Sometimes I get the question: what keeps you coming back to SEED after fourteen years? My answer is always the same: it's not work when you love what you do and you're passionate about it, and I also tell them that SEED is not for everybody. We are unique, and from the words of one of my favorite rap groups Mobb Deep “Survival of the Fit Only the Strong Survive”, because this work is hard but rewarding if you stick with it. If you live in the moment, love what you do, and continue changing lives for the students and families that we serve, you will never work a day in your life.