March 17, 2025 • 29 mins
In this inspiring episode of Good News, meet James Woody, the Executive Director of Sutton Scholars, a high school enrichment program sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, as he shares his journey from the corporate world to nonprofit service. Alongside hosts Deacons Jon Shematek and Lauren Welch, James discusses the importance of spirituality, leadership, and life skills in transforming the lives of underserved youth in Baltimore. Learn about the unique focus of Sutton Scholars and how the program fosters personal and community growth. Discover how you can support this vital initiative and make a difference.
00:00 Introduction to James Woody and Sutton Scholars
00:34 James Woody's Journey to Nonprofit Leadership
02:54 Spirituality and Service
04:55 Founding the Bishop Walker School for Boys
06:41 Challenges and Successes in Education
10:00 Transition to Sutton Scholars
11:35 Overview of Sutton Scholars Program
14:22 Impact of the Pandemic on Youth
17:15 Building a Better Baltimore
23:17 Supporting Sutton Scholars
26:56 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom
28:26 Conclusion and Farewell
James Woody is passionately committed to the creation and development of transformative opportunities for youth and families in under-resourced communities. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Sutton Scholars High School Enrichment Program, an initiative of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland aimed at supporting Baltimore City High School students in their efforts to develop the confidence, competence and character they need to achieve success in high school, post-secondary educational environments and their chosen careers. James formerly served as the founding Executive Director of the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys in Washington, DC. In addition to his work at Sutton Scholars, James serves on the governing board of the Washington National Cathedral, and is an independent director of IDW Media Holdings, a publisher of graphic novels and comic books including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, and John Lewis’ March.
Visit Sutton Scholars at: https://suttonscholars.org/
James Woody's contact info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-r-woody-a8b9053/
The Good News! podcast series is part of the ListeningforClues portfolio. Catch us at https://listeningforclues.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dolores (00:00):
Let's meet James Woody, the Executive Director of Sutton Scholars, a
high school enrichment program sponsoredby the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
With Mr.
Woody today , is our Good News team,Deacons Jon Shematek and Lauren
Welch as we bring another episodein our second season of Good News!
All about people making adifference in the world.
Jon Shematek (00:21):
James Woody, welcome to our podcast.
Good News!.
We're thrilled to have you and learningmore about you and Sutton Scholars.
very happy you're here with us today.
James Woody (00:31):
thank you, Jon.
It's great to be here.......
Jon Shematek (00:33):
So, I guess one thing I know you've had a, very long, career
and very strong, interest in youthand helping particularly disadvantaged
youth, over the course of your lifetime.
tell us a little bit about your journey.
How did you get to whereyou are now in terms of your
particular gifts for the world?
James Woody (00:54):
Sure, that's a fascinating question.
I started my career in the corporatesector and did marketing and strategic
planning for a number of years and cameto the conclusion that I was not going to
get maximum fulfillment by focusing on.
Making money for others, I was askedto consider serving on the board of
(01:17):
a homeless shelter in Washington, D.
C.
called community of hope I served onthe board for a number of years, the.
Founding executive director ofthat organization announced that
he was going to be leaving topursue some activities nationally.
And I was asked to serve onthe search committee for the
replacement for that gentleman.
(01:38):
And somehow, after serving on the searchcommittee for a number of weeks, I think
I missed a meeting or 2 and came backand I was greeted with the notion that
they had found who they were looking for.
And that person was me.
So the moral of that story is nevermiss a search committee meeting, but I
spoke to my wife about the possibilityof leading an organization that served
(02:03):
not only homeless families, but hada health clinic, a medical clinic,
and a number of other educationalopportunities for families I said to
my wife, I don't know what's goingon, but I feel like this is something
that we should seriously consider.
And without hesitation, she replied,if this is something that you feel God
(02:24):
is calling you to do, then let's do it.
We'll just change course.
I'm sure we'll be just fine.
six weeks later, I was the, Executivedirector and president of the Community
of Hope Incorporated in Washington, D.
C.
that was the beginning of my journeywith nonprofit service and ministry.
over the last 30 plus years, I've beeninvolved in a number of nonprofits.
(02:49):
as I look back on it, there was aconnecting thread through all of them.
And that connectingthread was spirituality.
I became a Christian when I was 17years old and was always looking for
ways to serve in a way that I feltwould do justice to my faith, and
help, promote the kingdom of God.
most of the organizations that I'veworked with, were a part of that spiritual
(03:13):
journey as much as, a journey of service.
Jon Shematek (03:16):
Wow, that's a great story I didn't know about your experience at 17.
I mean you found Christat that at that yes
James Woody (03:23):
at 17 I think something that's important to my story is that I
Grew up with Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton.
He and I have known each other sincekindergarten When I was 17, he invited
me to be a part of a youth group.
I had always been, engaged inchurch work on lots of levels.
I was the youth superintendent ofmy Sunday school at the Baptist
(03:46):
Church I attended when I was 16.
In many respects, I was going throughthe motions, being a part of church
had been a part of my family traditionfor generations, but it wasn't until
I had gotten invited to that youthgroup when I had what you described
accurately as a conversion experience.
I came face to face with.
my own shortcomings and sin, ifyou will, and made a decision to
(04:11):
turn in a different direction.
And from 17, until this day,that has been the arc of my life.
Lauren Welch (04:18):
So James, it sounds like spirituality is, a really
important part of all the work you do.
You bring that to wherever you are withthe boys or whoever you're working with.
James Woody (04:31):
that's absolutely right.
Lauren Welch (04:33):
How do you see that helping?
The people that you work with.
James Woody (04:39):
Well, I believe very strongly Lauren that we are all spiritual beings.
Many of the physical challenges weface are rooted in some spiritual cause
or at least in a spiritual dimension.
one of the most important experiences ofmy life was being asked to serve as the
(05:02):
founding director of the Bishop John T.
Walker School for Boys in Washington, D.
C.
the Bishop Walker School was aschool we launched in 2008, and
I'm honored that I was the firstemployee of that institution.
we decided very consciously that boys,in particular African American boys,
in underserved parts of Washington D.
(05:25):
C.
were experiencing a crisis thatcrisis involved things like dropping
out of school and getting intotrouble with the law at a proportion
that was, disproportionate totheir presence in the population.
the Bishop Walker School was foundedas a kindergarten through 5th
grade school that was tuition free.
(05:47):
It's An Episcopal school that is tuitionfree I had the privilege of spending
a number of years, raising lots ofmoney to help provide a tuition free
education to the boys in Washington, D.
C.
we realized that our resources would be.
Limited and so we wanted to focus ourenergies where we thought we could have
(06:08):
the most impact serving boys who were inmany respects falling through the cracks
is where we decided to focus our attention
Jon Shematek (06:17):
So, James, I can't think
How challenging that musthave been, in so many ways.
you had to, thinking of atuition free there obviously was
the financial, aspect of that.
And then, just, working with thechildren, students, youth that, may
or may not have been really thatinterested in what you were trying to do.
Was that an issue?
Because there's a generationalgap there in some ways,
James Woody (06:40):
that's very perceptive, John, when we started, in 2007 and the school
opened in 2008, the Episcopal Church didnot have a particularly strong presence
and that quadrant of Washington, D.
C.
in the Southeast quadrant, there werea couple of parishes but there was a
lack of familiarity with the EpiscopalChurch, in that part of the city one
(07:04):
of the biggest challenges was to getpeople in that community to understand,
what we were trying to accomplish.
I'll never forget going door todoor Knocking to try and, get to
know folks in the community andtell them about what we were doing.
I used to say we were a tuitionfree school, and I thought that
would really excite people becausethey wouldn't have to pay tuition.
(07:26):
then one day.
Somebody stopped me and said, I don'tknow why you lead with that line, because
all schools here are tuition free.
Most students go to public schools,and the idea of paying tuition was not
on the radar of any of the familiesor students we were targeting.
so, we had to changeour spiel a little bit.
And 1 of the things that we endedup focusing on was the idea that
(07:49):
he was a school that also hada spiritual component to it.
Surprisingly, to me, that was veryexciting to families in the community,
though they did not have a frame ofreference with the Episcopal church.
They did have strong connections witha number of other nondenominational
or Baptist entities in the community.
(08:11):
many families were looking for a placethat they thought would be a safe.
And loving place fortheir sons to be educated.
And so once we understood that was oneof the primary desires and needs from
families, we finally reached the sweetspot for what our message would be.
Jon Shematek (08:29):
What a discovery that, faith is something that will draw people.
James Woody (08:33):
Yes.
And that was contrary to what a lot of us.
believed at the time, people werehungry, to find a, and again, safe
was an important one because in,in many, underserved communities,
violence, is something that familiesand young people have to contend with.
once.
They felt comfortable that we would bea place where their sons would be cared
(08:56):
for in a loving and appropriate manner.
it really did make a huge difference.
And the school is thriving to this day.
Actually, just a couple of nights ago, Iwent to their annual fundraising dinner.
It was really exciting to seethat the school is on firm
footing and is doing well.
Jon Shematek (09:12):
That's great.
the alumni are doing well.
James Woody (09:15):
Yes, absolutely.
As a matter of fact, we had a coupleof alumni, perform at the dinner,
which is held in the nave of theWashington National Cathedral.
one of our boys, sang, a Frank Sinatratune, which was, a real show stopper,
so to speak, another one talkedvery eloquently about his plans.
(09:35):
He's graduating from high school thisyear and his plans for college and
what he hopes to do in the future.
it was really inspirational to seeyoung men that I knew when they were
in kindergarten, who are now either incollege or graduating from high school
Concrete plans anddesires for their lives.
it's a very satisfying andfulfilling part of my journey.
(09:59):
I retired from the Bishop Walkerschool, in July of 2022, my wife
and I moved from Washington, D.
C.
to Baltimore, which we now call home.
And it was a part of that retirementtransition, during which Bishop Sutton
approached me and asked how I wasplanning on spending my next phase
(10:20):
I said, Basically being retired.
but, as fate would have it, and thefact that, he's such a long standing
and dear friend, he asked if I wouldconsider, extending some of my leadership
experience to the Sutton ScholarsProgram, which was named, in his honor.
It was very difficult for me to turndown that opportunity having served
(10:41):
on the advisory board of SuttonScholars for a number of years I was
very familiar with the program andwas delighted to have that be a part
of the next phase of my employment
Jon Shematek (10:53):
We definitely resonate with you about being retired and yet having
Bishop Sutton say, okay, now what you'regoing to do in your retirement is what?
it's inspired at least all three of us,but many, you know, countless others.
So that's a particularstrength of his, by the way.
Oh, yeah.
So, that's how you became involvedwith the Sutton Scholars, program.
(11:14):
We have all kinds of people thatwatch and listen to the podcast.
Some of them, will know right offthe bat what Sutton Scholars are,
what the Episcopal Church is,and what a diocese is, and so on.
Can you just talk a little bitabout, the Sutton Scholars Program
and how it works and what you'rehoping to accomplish with it?
James Woody (11:32):
Sure, I'd be happy to.
the Sutton ScholarsProgram, was formed in 2016.
It is a high school enrichmentprogram sponsored by the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
Bishop Sutton was quick to realizethat Young people need someone to help
(11:54):
provide guidance and direction he andI were a part of a youth group when we
were teenagers that surrounded us withadult support, mentoring, and guidance.
he believed that he wanted somethinglike that to be a formal part of
life in the Diocese of Maryland.
(12:14):
It's important to mention thatthe Sutton Scholars Enrichment
Program is not an academic program.
So we are not focused on reading,writing and arithmetic That's.
Something all young people have todevelop if they're going to be successful,
but it's also not a religious program.
Sutton Scholars focuses on lifeskills sometimes referred to as
(12:38):
soft skills, things like leadership.
Communication, financialliteracy advocacy.
We want to work with young people ondeveloping skills they may not, be
getting exposure to in their high schools.
we serve young people fromaround the city of Baltimore.
this past year, we worked with youngpeople from 10 different high schools.
(13:01):
we work with young peoplein grades 8 through 12.
what we do is assign the young peopleonce they fill out an application
and are accepted into the program.
We are currently serving about75 young people each summer.
Primary focus of Sutton scholarsis a 6 week summer program.
during that summer program, wedrill down on some of the skills
(13:23):
I referenced each cohort ofstudents is led by an instructor.
Many of our instructors are Teachersin public schools, primarily high
school teachers, but sometimes theymay be middle school teachers as well.
And we, over the last couple of yearshave developed a curriculum, which hones
in on the skills I referenced previouslythe goal is to have A program that is
(13:49):
fun, engaging, and that young peoplewant to come back to every summer.
the goal is to have a young personjoin with us in eighth grade and
continue through their senior year ofhigh school, and then we continue to
support them informally in college orin vocational school or whatever they
choose to do on a post secondary basis.
Lauren Welch (14:11):
James, what has surprised you most while working
with the Sutton scholars?
James Woody (14:17):
Yeah, it can be an incredibly difficult age.
one of the things, that surprisedthe whole world was, the pandemic.
when we look back on, 2020, 2021 andin some measure 2022, I knew that
this was going to be a challenge,but what surprised me was how
(14:38):
much the pandemic has affect ouryoung people's ability to engage.
With each other and others socially,I think there's something about
having been trapped behind a computerscreen for as long as many of our
young people were that had an adverseimpact on their ability to communicate
(14:58):
effectively and engage socially.
And so we've had to spend a greatdeal of energy and focus, helping
them reemerge from their shells,created, by the, coronavirus pandemic.
it's been more than a notionto drill down and get them to.
(15:19):
Reemerge in ways that are confident, andenable them to communicate effectively
with each other and with adults.
I'm surprised by the impact thepandemic had on our young people's,
ability to engage socially.
Lauren Welch (15:35):
And what a blessing it was to have this gift of scholars for them,
because Many young people haven't comeout of their shell because they didn't
have this kind of support and help.
So thank you.
James Woody (15:46):
Well, yeah, it's been an incredible pleasure, and an honor
to work with young people, who haveexperienced, that kind of challenge.
But the other thing that's been surprisingto me, and it's kind of the opposite is
how resilient our young people are and howhungry they are to learn new skills and be
(16:07):
exposed to different kinds of experiences.
my faith in young people, notthat it ever, was completely
shaken, but if you read.
the media, you tend to hearnegative things about young people,
particularly those in high school.
But 1 of the things that I am happyto report is that there is a great
deal of hope on the part of folks whoare in the Sutton scholars program.
(16:31):
And for me personally, I absolutely amconfident that our futures will be in
good hands if we as adults do what weare supposed to be doing with regard to
teaching, training, nurturing, caringfor and mentoring this next generation.
one of the things that we haveEmphasized with our young people
(16:55):
is speaking up for themselves.
We talk a lot about advocacy.
Part of what we try to encouragethem to do and model for them is
how to speak up in ways that areboth powerful and respectful.
it's important that they be ableto represent their own interests.
Part of what we do at Sutton Scholars,and maybe it's an overarching theme is
(17:19):
what we call building a better Baltimore.
We recognize that not all ofour young people are destined to
spend the rest of their lives inBaltimore, but we recognize that.
there are some issues and challengesin Baltimore, like they are
and, you know, any other city.
And one of the things that we wantthem to be able to do is to be in
(17:41):
positions of leadership to help remedythe challenges they face and to rectify
situations that are problematic.
Not just for them butfor their communities.
One of the things that we doevery summer is we take our young
people on a number of field trips.
Summer before last, we decided togo to City Hall because we wanted
(18:04):
Our scholars to meet a councilperson, they met the police chief.
the president of the city council,and were able to engage in
conversation with some of thesecity leaders for about an hour
as part of our preparation, oneof the questions that I asked
our scholars was, if you had theopportunity, when you graduate from
(18:26):
high school, how many of you, byshow of hands, would leave Baltimore?
about two thirds of the group,surprisingly to me, raised their hands and
said, yep, we'd be out on the next bus.
And I was really surprised by that.
it caused me to do a deep, introspectivedive on why my perspective on Baltimore
(18:47):
is so different than many of our youngpeople's perspectives that frankly
had to do with their experiences.
They have seen, sadly, some of thenegative aspects of what it is to
live in Baltimore at this point inhistory, and frankly feel like They
need to get out in order to experiencethe kinds of opportunities that
(19:10):
will give them a fighting chance athaving the kinds of lives they want
One of the things that we are reallyexcited about since two summers
ago, the number of young people whowould say they are interested in
leaving has decreased remarkably.
that's because we have recommittedourselves to showing them.
(19:30):
The beauty of their city, we go tomuseums, and we do at least 2 or 3
college visits focusing on collegesand universities that are either
in the city or directly adjacentto the city in Baltimore County
Being exposed to some of the thingsthat make Baltimore such a special
and rich place, I think is slowlybut surely changing the perspectives
(19:55):
on some of our young people.
If you don't know the beauty and thejoy that can exist through that which
takes place in your own hometown,sometimes you just assume that it.
And so part of what we are committedto doing is exposing our young
people to some hidden, gems thatexist in the city in terms of
(20:15):
places and people and institutionsthat will help them understand why
Baltimore is such a special place.
Jon Shematek (20:24):
James, I was wondering, I think you mentioned
there are about 75, Sutton scholars.
is that the right number?
is this scalable in any way?
do you have a plan?
Are you saying, this is whatGod wants us to do and this
is how we're going to do it?
James Woody (20:39):
prior to the pandemic, our numbers had actually gone up to just over
a hundred and we were excited about that.
then the pandemic hit, and our numberswent down to 30 or something like that.
75 feels like a good number for us,because it affords us the opportunity
to go a little deeper with each scholarthan we might have been able to do if the
(21:04):
numbers had been as large as they were.
1 of the things that that I thinkwe have come to learn is bigger is
not necessarily better as relatesto this program and so 75 feels.
Frankly, to be about the perfect number.
One of the things that I failed tomention in my description of the
program is that we actually compensateour young people through a stipend.
(21:29):
So each scholar receives a stipend and we,pay them to participate in the program.
the more scholars we have, the more moneywe have to raise to pay that stipend,
which is a challenge, One of the thingsthat is important to understand is why
we feel like that stipend is so importantfor people who are familiar with summer
(21:54):
employment in Baltimore and theirprograms like it throughout the country.
often cities in Baltimore has aprogram, that is called YouthWorks.
And so it's a summer employment programwhere young people get employed to
work in the private sector governmentsettings or non profits, and they get
(22:14):
paid minimum wage to participate 1 ofthe things that we understood early on
about Sutton scholars is that a programlike youth works in some respects.
a competitor of ours because ofthe stipend, young people rely on
the stipend to buy school suppliessupplement their family's income.
(22:37):
Without the stipend, because they couldeasily go someplace else, like the youth
works program, the competitive aspect isthat they pay a stipend and for us to not
would put us at a disadvantage in termsof attracting the kind of young people
that would most benefit from our program.
Interestingly, we are not over thelast couple of years having to recruit
(22:59):
students as aggressively because thestudents themselves and their families.
By word of mouth have been sharing thegood news about what goes on at the Sutton
Scholars Program they have been coming tous voluntarily, which is a really exciting
development in our growth as a program.
Jon Shematek (23:16):
James, I guess the other question that comes to mind for
me right now is just thinking aboutall this amazing work that Sutton
Scholars is doing and the work thatthe scholars themselves are doing.
some of our viewers andlisteners, are really interested
in helping promote good things.
what is it that.
someone can do to help support,Sutton scholars what concrete
(23:37):
things might one of us do?
James Woody (23:39):
One of the questions that I find interesting that I get
Fairly often is besides giving money.
What can I do to support the program?
And I'm not sure why we want to skipover the giving money part as being
an important part of the puzzle.
We are a program that is fundedby our own fundraising efforts.
the diocese has been very generous.
(24:02):
But, the diocese is not in a positionto pay for the entire program.
And so we have to raise the moneythat we use to pay the stipends
to hire our instructors to goon field trips to rent buses.
We provide 2 meals a day to our scholars.
during the summer.
We operate out of Mercy High Schoolon Northern Parkway in Baltimore
(24:26):
City, and we have to rent thatfacility from Mercy High School.
finances are an importantpiece of the puzzle.
for those that are moved tosupport us financially, I
encourage generous, support there.
And that can be done.
we can be reached throughsutton scholars.org
or through the diocesan,website, episcopal maryland.org.
(24:49):
We are, having a fabulous summerexperience, which includes four
days at the Claggett center,in Adamstown, our young people
need to get away from the city.
we spend three nights andfour days at Claggett.
every year, which is just anold fashion season of fun.
So the young people play sports,volleyball, kickball, they ride
(25:12):
bikes, they canoe, spend lots oftime in the pool because it's,
always hot in the summertime.
Generously supporting Sutton scholarsfinancially is an important aspect of
how we maintain the work that we doSkills that we try to expose our young
people to, need others to help reinforce.
(25:33):
from time to time, we'll have guestspeakers come in, who can talk
about professions that young peoplemay want to consider pursuing.
we talk about conflict resolution.
this year I'm hopeful and looking forwardto Bishop Carrie doing a workshop on
conflict resolution, but there arelots of people spread out throughout
(25:55):
the community who have expertiseand financial literacy or conflict
resolution or interviewing skills.
those kinds of volunteer opportunitiesexist for us, or it might be
chaperoning on a field trip,going with us on a college tour.
We often need people to help young peopleunderstand how to successfully complete
(26:18):
a college application and preparinga resume and those kinds of things.
And so we have a.
Curriculum where our instructors arethe key players in helping our young
people develop these skills, butwe can always benefit from working
professionals who share their experienceand expertise with our scholars so that
(26:39):
they have up to date perspectives onwhat's being required in the workplace.
Jon Shematek (26:44):
That's great.
Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
Gosh, we really appreciate thetime you've given us today.
This has been an inspiring time.
And I know Lauren always hasone more question, right?
Lauren Welch (26:55):
Before we go, James, do you have any.
Words of wisdom or advice for ouryoung people, encouraging us to know
that these young people are goingto be our leaders in the future and
that we're in pretty good hands.
James Woody (27:10):
our young people are going to be our leaders.
it's up to us as the generation thatprecedes them to be the kind of role
models they can look to, to learn howto lead in a way that is civil and kind.
speaking of kind, we have a mantra atSutton Scholars that works not just
for our scholars, but for all of us.
(27:31):
Strive for success.
Work hard, have fun and be kind.
that kindness piece sometimesgets lost in the shuffle.
we are trying to say to ourscholars that, life is short.
We have an obligation to ourselvesand each other to respect the
people in our lives and be goodexamples to that next generation,
(27:52):
particularly that's following us.
we all have an opportunity.
to set an example for the person to ourleft or to our right or to that person
who is, looking to us and following,the path we have, laid out for them.
it's important for us as adults toshow the kind of example that we
would want our young people to follow.
I can vouch for the young peopleThey are looking for good examples
(28:14):
and wanting to lead a life that isfulfilled and exciting, and that will
help them, change things in a waythat is positive and long lasting.
Jon Shematek (28:24):
James Woody, thank you.
We've learned so much and reallyappreciate the work you're doing
and what God is calling you to do.
Thank you very much.
James Woody (28:32):
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I always love talkingabout Sutton Scholars.
Lauren Welch (28:37):
Jon and I want to thank all who are , watching and listening.
We can't do this withoutyour participation again.
Thank you for the gift ofyour time until next time.
Peace and blessings.
Dolores (28:49):
This episode of Good News has been brought to
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Be sure to comment, like or share.
Thanks for being with us today.
Let's meet James Woody, the Executive Director of Sutton Scholars, a
high school enrichment program sponsoredby the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
With Mr.
Woody today , is our Good News team,Deacons Jon Shematek and Lauren
Welch as we bring another episodein our second season of Good News!
All about people making adifference in the world.
Jon Shematek (00:21):
James Woody, welcome to our podcast.
Good News!.
We're thrilled to have you and learningmore about you and Sutton Scholars.
very happy you're here with us today.
James Woody (00:31):
thank you, Jon.
It's great to be here.......
Jon Shematek (00:33):
So, I guess one thing I know you've had a, very long, career
and very strong, interest in youthand helping particularly disadvantaged
youth, over the course of your lifetime.
tell us a little bit about your journey.
How did you get to whereyou are now in terms of your
particular gifts for the world?
James Woody (00:54):
Sure, that's a fascinating question.
I started my career in the corporatesector and did marketing and strategic
planning for a number of years and cameto the conclusion that I was not going to
get maximum fulfillment by focusing on.
Making money for others, I was askedto consider serving on the board of
(01:17):
a homeless shelter in Washington, D.
C.
called community of hope I served onthe board for a number of years, the.
Founding executive director ofthat organization announced that
he was going to be leaving topursue some activities nationally.
And I was asked to serve onthe search committee for the
replacement for that gentleman.
(01:38):
And somehow, after serving on the searchcommittee for a number of weeks, I think
I missed a meeting or 2 and came backand I was greeted with the notion that
they had found who they were looking for.
And that person was me.
So the moral of that story is nevermiss a search committee meeting, but I
spoke to my wife about the possibilityof leading an organization that served
(02:03):
not only homeless families, but hada health clinic, a medical clinic,
and a number of other educationalopportunities for families I said to
my wife, I don't know what's goingon, but I feel like this is something
that we should seriously consider.
And without hesitation, she replied,if this is something that you feel God
(02:24):
is calling you to do, then let's do it.
We'll just change course.
I'm sure we'll be just fine.
six weeks later, I was the, Executivedirector and president of the Community
of Hope Incorporated in Washington, D.
C.
that was the beginning of my journeywith nonprofit service and ministry.
over the last 30 plus years, I've beeninvolved in a number of nonprofits.
(02:49):
as I look back on it, there was aconnecting thread through all of them.
And that connectingthread was spirituality.
I became a Christian when I was 17years old and was always looking for
ways to serve in a way that I feltwould do justice to my faith, and
help, promote the kingdom of God.
most of the organizations that I'veworked with, were a part of that spiritual
(03:13):
journey as much as, a journey of service.
Jon Shematek (03:16):
Wow, that's a great story I didn't know about your experience at 17.
I mean you found Christat that at that yes
James Woody (03:23):
at 17 I think something that's important to my story is that I
Grew up with Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton.
He and I have known each other sincekindergarten When I was 17, he invited
me to be a part of a youth group.
I had always been, engaged inchurch work on lots of levels.
I was the youth superintendent ofmy Sunday school at the Baptist
(03:46):
Church I attended when I was 16.
In many respects, I was going throughthe motions, being a part of church
had been a part of my family traditionfor generations, but it wasn't until
I had gotten invited to that youthgroup when I had what you described
accurately as a conversion experience.
I came face to face with.
my own shortcomings and sin, ifyou will, and made a decision to
(04:11):
turn in a different direction.
And from 17, until this day,that has been the arc of my life.
Lauren Welch (04:18):
So James, it sounds like spirituality is, a really
important part of all the work you do.
You bring that to wherever you are withthe boys or whoever you're working with.
James Woody (04:31):
that's absolutely right.
Lauren Welch (04:33):
How do you see that helping?
The people that you work with.
James Woody (04:39):
Well, I believe very strongly Lauren that we are all spiritual beings.
Many of the physical challenges weface are rooted in some spiritual cause
or at least in a spiritual dimension.
one of the most important experiences ofmy life was being asked to serve as the
(05:02):
founding director of the Bishop John T.
Walker School for Boys in Washington, D.
C.
the Bishop Walker School was aschool we launched in 2008, and
I'm honored that I was the firstemployee of that institution.
we decided very consciously that boys,in particular African American boys,
in underserved parts of Washington D.
(05:25):
C.
were experiencing a crisis thatcrisis involved things like dropping
out of school and getting intotrouble with the law at a proportion
that was, disproportionate totheir presence in the population.
the Bishop Walker School was foundedas a kindergarten through 5th
grade school that was tuition free.
(05:47):
It's An Episcopal school that is tuitionfree I had the privilege of spending
a number of years, raising lots ofmoney to help provide a tuition free
education to the boys in Washington, D.
C.
we realized that our resources would be.
Limited and so we wanted to focus ourenergies where we thought we could have
(06:08):
the most impact serving boys who were inmany respects falling through the cracks
is where we decided to focus our attention
Jon Shematek (06:17):
So, James, I can't think
How challenging that musthave been, in so many ways.
you had to, thinking of atuition free there obviously was
the financial, aspect of that.
And then, just, working with thechildren, students, youth that, may
or may not have been really thatinterested in what you were trying to do.
Was that an issue?
Because there's a generationalgap there in some ways,
James Woody (06:40):
that's very perceptive, John, when we started, in 2007 and the school
opened in 2008, the Episcopal Church didnot have a particularly strong presence
and that quadrant of Washington, D.
C.
in the Southeast quadrant, there werea couple of parishes but there was a
lack of familiarity with the EpiscopalChurch, in that part of the city one
(07:04):
of the biggest challenges was to getpeople in that community to understand,
what we were trying to accomplish.
I'll never forget going door todoor Knocking to try and, get to
know folks in the community andtell them about what we were doing.
I used to say we were a tuitionfree school, and I thought that
would really excite people becausethey wouldn't have to pay tuition.
(07:26):
then one day.
Somebody stopped me and said, I don'tknow why you lead with that line, because
all schools here are tuition free.
Most students go to public schools,and the idea of paying tuition was not
on the radar of any of the familiesor students we were targeting.
so, we had to changeour spiel a little bit.
And 1 of the things that we endedup focusing on was the idea that
(07:49):
he was a school that also hada spiritual component to it.
Surprisingly, to me, that was veryexciting to families in the community,
though they did not have a frame ofreference with the Episcopal church.
They did have strong connections witha number of other nondenominational
or Baptist entities in the community.
(08:11):
many families were looking for a placethat they thought would be a safe.
And loving place fortheir sons to be educated.
And so once we understood that was oneof the primary desires and needs from
families, we finally reached the sweetspot for what our message would be.
Jon Shematek (08:29):
What a discovery that, faith is something that will draw people.
James Woody (08:33):
Yes.
And that was contrary to what a lot of us.
believed at the time, people werehungry, to find a, and again, safe
was an important one because in,in many, underserved communities,
violence, is something that familiesand young people have to contend with.
once.
They felt comfortable that we would bea place where their sons would be cared
(08:56):
for in a loving and appropriate manner.
it really did make a huge difference.
And the school is thriving to this day.
Actually, just a couple of nights ago, Iwent to their annual fundraising dinner.
It was really exciting to seethat the school is on firm
footing and is doing well.
Jon Shematek (09:12):
That's great.
the alumni are doing well.
James Woody (09:15):
Yes, absolutely.
As a matter of fact, we had a coupleof alumni, perform at the dinner,
which is held in the nave of theWashington National Cathedral.
one of our boys, sang, a Frank Sinatratune, which was, a real show stopper,
so to speak, another one talkedvery eloquently about his plans.
(09:35):
He's graduating from high school thisyear and his plans for college and
what he hopes to do in the future.
it was really inspirational to seeyoung men that I knew when they were
in kindergarten, who are now either incollege or graduating from high school
Concrete plans anddesires for their lives.
it's a very satisfying andfulfilling part of my journey.
(09:59):
I retired from the Bishop Walkerschool, in July of 2022, my wife
and I moved from Washington, D.
C.
to Baltimore, which we now call home.
And it was a part of that retirementtransition, during which Bishop Sutton
approached me and asked how I wasplanning on spending my next phase
(10:20):
I said, Basically being retired.
but, as fate would have it, and thefact that, he's such a long standing
and dear friend, he asked if I wouldconsider, extending some of my leadership
experience to the Sutton ScholarsProgram, which was named, in his honor.
It was very difficult for me to turndown that opportunity having served
(10:41):
on the advisory board of SuttonScholars for a number of years I was
very familiar with the program andwas delighted to have that be a part
of the next phase of my employment
Jon Shematek (10:53):
We definitely resonate with you about being retired and yet having
Bishop Sutton say, okay, now what you'regoing to do in your retirement is what?
it's inspired at least all three of us,but many, you know, countless others.
So that's a particularstrength of his, by the way.
Oh, yeah.
So, that's how you became involvedwith the Sutton Scholars, program.
(11:14):
We have all kinds of people thatwatch and listen to the podcast.
Some of them, will know right offthe bat what Sutton Scholars are,
what the Episcopal Church is,and what a diocese is, and so on.
Can you just talk a little bitabout, the Sutton Scholars Program
and how it works and what you'rehoping to accomplish with it?
James Woody (11:32):
Sure, I'd be happy to.
the Sutton ScholarsProgram, was formed in 2016.
It is a high school enrichmentprogram sponsored by the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.
Bishop Sutton was quick to realizethat Young people need someone to help
(11:54):
provide guidance and direction he andI were a part of a youth group when we
were teenagers that surrounded us withadult support, mentoring, and guidance.
he believed that he wanted somethinglike that to be a formal part of
life in the Diocese of Maryland.
(12:14):
It's important to mention thatthe Sutton Scholars Enrichment
Program is not an academic program.
So we are not focused on reading,writing and arithmetic That's.
Something all young people have todevelop if they're going to be successful,
but it's also not a religious program.
Sutton Scholars focuses on lifeskills sometimes referred to as
(12:38):
soft skills, things like leadership.
Communication, financialliteracy advocacy.
We want to work with young people ondeveloping skills they may not, be
getting exposure to in their high schools.
we serve young people fromaround the city of Baltimore.
this past year, we worked with youngpeople from 10 different high schools.
(13:01):
we work with young peoplein grades 8 through 12.
what we do is assign the young peopleonce they fill out an application
and are accepted into the program.
We are currently serving about75 young people each summer.
Primary focus of Sutton scholarsis a 6 week summer program.
during that summer program, wedrill down on some of the skills
(13:23):
I referenced each cohort ofstudents is led by an instructor.
Many of our instructors are Teachersin public schools, primarily high
school teachers, but sometimes theymay be middle school teachers as well.
And we, over the last couple of yearshave developed a curriculum, which hones
in on the skills I referenced previouslythe goal is to have A program that is
(13:49):
fun, engaging, and that young peoplewant to come back to every summer.
the goal is to have a young personjoin with us in eighth grade and
continue through their senior year ofhigh school, and then we continue to
support them informally in college orin vocational school or whatever they
choose to do on a post secondary basis.
Lauren Welch (14:11):
James, what has surprised you most while working
with the Sutton scholars?
James Woody (14:17):
Yeah, it can be an incredibly difficult age.
one of the things, that surprisedthe whole world was, the pandemic.
when we look back on, 2020, 2021 andin some measure 2022, I knew that
this was going to be a challenge,but what surprised me was how
(14:38):
much the pandemic has affect ouryoung people's ability to engage.
With each other and others socially,I think there's something about
having been trapped behind a computerscreen for as long as many of our
young people were that had an adverseimpact on their ability to communicate
(14:58):
effectively and engage socially.
And so we've had to spend a greatdeal of energy and focus, helping
them reemerge from their shells,created, by the, coronavirus pandemic.
it's been more than a notionto drill down and get them to.
(15:19):
Reemerge in ways that are confident, andenable them to communicate effectively
with each other and with adults.
I'm surprised by the impact thepandemic had on our young people's,
ability to engage socially.
Lauren Welch (15:35):
And what a blessing it was to have this gift of scholars for them,
because Many young people haven't comeout of their shell because they didn't
have this kind of support and help.
So thank you.
James Woody (15:46):
Well, yeah, it's been an incredible pleasure, and an honor
to work with young people, who haveexperienced, that kind of challenge.
But the other thing that's been surprisingto me, and it's kind of the opposite is
how resilient our young people are and howhungry they are to learn new skills and be
(16:07):
exposed to different kinds of experiences.
my faith in young people, notthat it ever, was completely
shaken, but if you read.
the media, you tend to hearnegative things about young people,
particularly those in high school.
But 1 of the things that I am happyto report is that there is a great
deal of hope on the part of folks whoare in the Sutton scholars program.
(16:31):
And for me personally, I absolutely amconfident that our futures will be in
good hands if we as adults do what weare supposed to be doing with regard to
teaching, training, nurturing, caringfor and mentoring this next generation.
one of the things that we haveEmphasized with our young people
(16:55):
is speaking up for themselves.
We talk a lot about advocacy.
Part of what we try to encouragethem to do and model for them is
how to speak up in ways that areboth powerful and respectful.
it's important that they be ableto represent their own interests.
Part of what we do at Sutton Scholars,and maybe it's an overarching theme is
(17:19):
what we call building a better Baltimore.
We recognize that not all ofour young people are destined to
spend the rest of their lives inBaltimore, but we recognize that.
there are some issues and challengesin Baltimore, like they are
and, you know, any other city.
And one of the things that we wantthem to be able to do is to be in
(17:41):
positions of leadership to help remedythe challenges they face and to rectify
situations that are problematic.
Not just for them butfor their communities.
One of the things that we doevery summer is we take our young
people on a number of field trips.
Summer before last, we decided togo to City Hall because we wanted
(18:04):
Our scholars to meet a councilperson, they met the police chief.
the president of the city council,and were able to engage in
conversation with some of thesecity leaders for about an hour
as part of our preparation, oneof the questions that I asked
our scholars was, if you had theopportunity, when you graduate from
(18:26):
high school, how many of you, byshow of hands, would leave Baltimore?
about two thirds of the group,surprisingly to me, raised their hands and
said, yep, we'd be out on the next bus.
And I was really surprised by that.
it caused me to do a deep, introspectivedive on why my perspective on Baltimore
(18:47):
is so different than many of our youngpeople's perspectives that frankly
had to do with their experiences.
They have seen, sadly, some of thenegative aspects of what it is to
live in Baltimore at this point inhistory, and frankly feel like They
need to get out in order to experiencethe kinds of opportunities that
(19:10):
will give them a fighting chance athaving the kinds of lives they want
One of the things that we are reallyexcited about since two summers
ago, the number of young people whowould say they are interested in
leaving has decreased remarkably.
that's because we have recommittedourselves to showing them.
(19:30):
The beauty of their city, we go tomuseums, and we do at least 2 or 3
college visits focusing on collegesand universities that are either
in the city or directly adjacentto the city in Baltimore County
Being exposed to some of the thingsthat make Baltimore such a special
and rich place, I think is slowlybut surely changing the perspectives
(19:55):
on some of our young people.
If you don't know the beauty and thejoy that can exist through that which
takes place in your own hometown,sometimes you just assume that it.
And so part of what we are committedto doing is exposing our young
people to some hidden, gems thatexist in the city in terms of
(20:15):
places and people and institutionsthat will help them understand why
Baltimore is such a special place.
Jon Shematek (20:24):
James, I was wondering, I think you mentioned
there are about 75, Sutton scholars.
is that the right number?
is this scalable in any way?
do you have a plan?
Are you saying, this is whatGod wants us to do and this
is how we're going to do it?
James Woody (20:39):
prior to the pandemic, our numbers had actually gone up to just over
a hundred and we were excited about that.
then the pandemic hit, and our numberswent down to 30 or something like that.
75 feels like a good number for us,because it affords us the opportunity
to go a little deeper with each scholarthan we might have been able to do if the
(21:04):
numbers had been as large as they were.
1 of the things that that I thinkwe have come to learn is bigger is
not necessarily better as relatesto this program and so 75 feels.
Frankly, to be about the perfect number.
One of the things that I failed tomention in my description of the
program is that we actually compensateour young people through a stipend.
(21:29):
So each scholar receives a stipend and we,pay them to participate in the program.
the more scholars we have, the more moneywe have to raise to pay that stipend,
which is a challenge, One of the thingsthat is important to understand is why
we feel like that stipend is so importantfor people who are familiar with summer
(21:54):
employment in Baltimore and theirprograms like it throughout the country.
often cities in Baltimore has aprogram, that is called YouthWorks.
And so it's a summer employment programwhere young people get employed to
work in the private sector governmentsettings or non profits, and they get
(22:14):
paid minimum wage to participate 1 ofthe things that we understood early on
about Sutton scholars is that a programlike youth works in some respects.
a competitor of ours because ofthe stipend, young people rely on
the stipend to buy school suppliessupplement their family's income.
(22:37):
Without the stipend, because they couldeasily go someplace else, like the youth
works program, the competitive aspect isthat they pay a stipend and for us to not
would put us at a disadvantage in termsof attracting the kind of young people
that would most benefit from our program.
Interestingly, we are not over thelast couple of years having to recruit
(22:59):
students as aggressively because thestudents themselves and their families.
By word of mouth have been sharing thegood news about what goes on at the Sutton
Scholars Program they have been coming tous voluntarily, which is a really exciting
development in our growth as a program.
Jon Shematek (23:16):
James, I guess the other question that comes to mind for
me right now is just thinking aboutall this amazing work that Sutton
Scholars is doing and the work thatthe scholars themselves are doing.
some of our viewers andlisteners, are really interested
in helping promote good things.
what is it that.
someone can do to help support,Sutton scholars what concrete
(23:37):
things might one of us do?
James Woody (23:39):
One of the questions that I find interesting that I get
Fairly often is besides giving money.
What can I do to support the program?
And I'm not sure why we want to skipover the giving money part as being
an important part of the puzzle.
We are a program that is fundedby our own fundraising efforts.
the diocese has been very generous.
(24:02):
But, the diocese is not in a positionto pay for the entire program.
And so we have to raise the moneythat we use to pay the stipends
to hire our instructors to goon field trips to rent buses.
We provide 2 meals a day to our scholars.
during the summer.
We operate out of Mercy High Schoolon Northern Parkway in Baltimore
(24:26):
City, and we have to rent thatfacility from Mercy High School.
finances are an importantpiece of the puzzle.
for those that are moved tosupport us financially, I
encourage generous, support there.
And that can be done.
we can be reached throughsutton scholars.org
or through the diocesan,website, episcopal maryland.org.
(24:49):
We are, having a fabulous summerexperience, which includes four
days at the Claggett center,in Adamstown, our young people
need to get away from the city.
we spend three nights andfour days at Claggett.
every year, which is just anold fashion season of fun.
So the young people play sports,volleyball, kickball, they ride
(25:12):
bikes, they canoe, spend lots oftime in the pool because it's,
always hot in the summertime.
Generously supporting Sutton scholarsfinancially is an important aspect of
how we maintain the work that we doSkills that we try to expose our young
people to, need others to help reinforce.
(25:33):
from time to time, we'll have guestspeakers come in, who can talk
about professions that young peoplemay want to consider pursuing.
we talk about conflict resolution.
this year I'm hopeful and looking forwardto Bishop Carrie doing a workshop on
conflict resolution, but there arelots of people spread out throughout
(25:55):
the community who have expertiseand financial literacy or conflict
resolution or interviewing skills.
those kinds of volunteer opportunitiesexist for us, or it might be
chaperoning on a field trip,going with us on a college tour.
We often need people to help young peopleunderstand how to successfully complete
(26:18):
a college application and preparinga resume and those kinds of things.
And so we have a.
Curriculum where our instructors arethe key players in helping our young
people develop these skills, butwe can always benefit from working
professionals who share their experienceand expertise with our scholars so that
(26:39):
they have up to date perspectives onwhat's being required in the workplace.
Jon Shematek (26:44):
That's great.
Thank you.
I really appreciate it.
Gosh, we really appreciate thetime you've given us today.
This has been an inspiring time.
And I know Lauren always hasone more question, right?
Lauren Welch (26:55):
Before we go, James, do you have any.
Words of wisdom or advice for ouryoung people, encouraging us to know
that these young people are goingto be our leaders in the future and
that we're in pretty good hands.
James Woody (27:10):
our young people are going to be our leaders.
it's up to us as the generation thatprecedes them to be the kind of role
models they can look to, to learn howto lead in a way that is civil and kind.
speaking of kind, we have a mantra atSutton Scholars that works not just
for our scholars, but for all of us.
(27:31):
Strive for success.
Work hard, have fun and be kind.
that kindness piece sometimesgets lost in the shuffle.
we are trying to say to ourscholars that, life is short.
We have an obligation to ourselvesand each other to respect the
people in our lives and be goodexamples to that next generation,
(27:52):
particularly that's following us.
we all have an opportunity.
to set an example for the person to ourleft or to our right or to that person
who is, looking to us and following,the path we have, laid out for them.
it's important for us as adults toshow the kind of example that we
would want our young people to follow.
I can vouch for the young peopleThey are looking for good examples
(28:14):
and wanting to lead a life that isfulfilled and exciting, and that will
help them, change things in a waythat is positive and long lasting.
Jon Shematek (28:24):
James Woody, thank you.
We've learned so much and reallyappreciate the work you're doing
and what God is calling you to do.
Thank you very much.
James Woody (28:32):
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
I always love talkingabout Sutton Scholars.
Lauren Welch (28:37):
Jon and I want to thank all who are , watching and listening.
We can't do this withoutyour participation again.
Thank you for the gift ofyour time until next time.
Peace and blessings.
Dolores (28:49):
This episode of Good News has been brought to
you by Listening for Clues.
For more podcasts, check outour YouTube channel or our
website listening for clues.com
or just about any audio podcast platform.
Be sure to comment, like or share.
Thanks for being with us today.
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