Kimberly McLurkin-Harris

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Kimberly McLurkin-Harris

Assistant Program Administrator, Recovery and Academic Program
Montgomery County Schools

Most Significant Accomplishment:

In 2019, I began working with students who were in substance-use recovery in the Recovery and Academic Program. The students ranged in age from 15-17 and many had stopped attending school regularly while some were a year or two behind academically. The program included recovery support from Sheppard Pratt and academic support from Montgomery County Public Schools.

As a program administrator, I was able to help the student’s set goals and provide resources to assist with their goals. I provided college and career counseling as well as academic support. As a result of the program, 20 students have graduated from high school.

Example of Mentoring:

As the advisor of the Montgomery County Maryland NAACP Youth Council, I interact with high school students from across Montgomery County. In my role as the advisor, I mentor the students by teaching them parliamentary procedure, how to conduct an efficient and productive meeting, and how to be an effective advocate in their community and school. I also encourage the students to be confident enough to become leaders of the organization.

The most recent president of the Youth Council was very nervous about serving in the position. I knew she would be an excellent leader because she was always suggesting creative programs for the Council and attending all of the events. She was well-organized, collaborative and inclusive and decided to run for a second term. Mentoring these young people is a joy and I love helping others to see the gifts and skills that they have to offer. There are so many potential leaders who just need encouragement to take the next step to lead and I am pleased to have helped many young people take that step.

Most Significant Personal Accomplishment:

In October 2020, I was asked to become the superintendent of Shiloh Baptist Church’s Sunday School. The superintendent’s job is to organize programs for members, identify teachers for the classes, raise funds, plan special programs for the youth and adults, disseminate Church School literature each quarter and increase participation in the classes.

I have been a Church School teacher for twenty years so I knew what the role of the superintendent entailed. The difference was we were in the midst of a pandemic and the church had moved to online sessions. This leadership opportunity was challenging but encouraged me to be creative and innovative. My first action was to set up Zoom classes for the teachers and provided workshops on how to use Zoom and distributed online resources. For those who were unable to access the online lessons, I mailed over fifty books to the members each quarter. We continued to have special programs for the youth by having the students record their performances. The recorded performances were combined into a production that was shown on YouTube and was successful.

This is an honoree profile from The Daily Record's Top 100 Women awards. Information for this profile was sourced from the honoree's application for the award.