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Our Students, Now: Pastor Damon Mack

Our Students, Now: Pastor Damon Mack

Pastor Damon Mack graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1993. His time in school stoked his passion for the arts, and he decided to become a professional musician. Later, he founded The L.I.V.E. Church and has been the senior pastor for the past five years, serving the community he grew up in as a religious leader.

“Pastor Mack has had a tremendously positive influence on our community since opening The L.I.V.E. Church, and that is no surprise coming from a Mount Vernon High School graduate,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. K. Veronica Smith. “Thank you for all you do for Mount Vernon; the Mount Vernon City School District appreciates you!”

View the Q+A with Pastor Damon Mack below!

1. What are you doing now with your life and career?

I am currently the founder and Senior Pastor of The L.I.V.E. Church. I established the ministry five years ago. I’ve been in full-time ministry for the last two years. Prior to full-time ministry, I’ve been a professional musician since graduating high school.

2. How has MVHS/MVCSD prepared you for your career?

It prepared me through the arts particularly. I was in the MVCSD during a time when each school had a band and band day was a big event for the entire city. We had ensembles, gospel choirs, etc. throughout the entire district that helped shape my dreams and aspirations in the arts. MVHS/MVCSD also prepared in how to network and value relationships which I believe is a currency in the world today.

3. Who are some people (teachers, counselors, etc.) who inspired or pushed you to be better during your time in the school district?

Wow!! So many teachers and staff inspired and pushed me. My third and sixth grade teachers in Holmes School, Mr. Martin and Mrs. Bryant made school fun for me. There are too many to name in middle and high school, but I have to give a huge shout out to Dr. Frank Abel, the former MVHS Band teacher. His impact changed my life!!

4. What was your favorite part of attending the Mount Vernon City School District?

Spending time with my classmates who have become life-long friends and family. Again, I was in the band so those times when we would have assemblies and talent shows would be exciting for me because I was able to share my musical talents with the entire student body and staff.

5. What is one thing from your time in the Mount Vernon City School District that stuck with you the most or helped you the most in your career?

One thing that stuck with me was the care for me as a student from teachers beyond the classroom. Some of my teachers didn’t just give me lessons in education but they gave me lessons in life, and they were genuinely concerned with making sure I made it in life.

6. What are you most proud of from your school experience?

What I am most proud of from my school experience is watching my classmates and even staff enjoy what I did as a student-musician. I remember when we had the pep band and we would play during the basketball games. To see my friends and classmates dance and sing and enjoy those moments are memorable to me and they are moments that I am proud of.

7. What do you know now that you wish you knew during your time in the school district?

I wish I really understood or knew the power of my potential during my time in the school district. I would’ve taken some things more serious if I really understood then what I was capable of. I would hear my teachers tell me how great I could be but I didn’t always take it serious.

8. What would you tell current students today to help them on their academic and career journey?

I would tell students today to take their life serious and be intentional on preparing and planting seeds in their today for a fruitful and promising tomorrow.

Students wearing costumes.

Creative costumes filled Mount Vernon City School District hallways on Thursday, October 31, 2024, as students celebrated Halloween. Among the celebrations, high school students at Rebecca Turner Academy handed out candy and painted faces of pre-K children, building community through collaboration. At Benjamin Turner Academy, parents, staff and students in the upper grades handed out candy to younger students in the library. At Graham School, the hallways were decorated with tables, and students walked around collecting treats. Hamilton School also held its annual trunk or treat.

Sheba Serna

Sheba Serna, a Mount Vernon High School Class of 1992 graduate, was recently awarded as Rebecca Turner Academy’s Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year by the Mount Vernon City School District. Ms. Serna worked in the Sundown Alternative Program prior to the founding of RTA, and she values her work deeply because she feels that she would have been an RTA student herself. The support she received at MVHS helped to propel her towards a teaching career within the District.

View the Q+A with Ms. Serna here!

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Dr. K. Veronica Smith, Acting Superintendent of Schools: 

This morning, we held a meeting with Mount Vernon STEAM Academy, Mount Vernon High School, Rebecca Turner Academy and Denzel Washington School of the Arts stakeholders regarding student searches at arrival and are working towards a resolution of this matter. These searches were implemented to keep all students in the building safe, and we are looking for an equitable solution that maintains our safety standards while providing a positive school culture and ensuring students are respected. We will continue to work with stakeholders to create a safe environment at all Mount Vernon City School District schools.

Students holding up orange cards.

Students in the Mount Vernon City School District learned more about their peers and met new friends during Mix it Up at Lunch Day on Monday, October 28, 2024. This was the final initiative of Bullying Prevention Month, which was recognized in multiple ways District-wide. Students wore blue on World Day of Bullying Prevention (October 7) and orange on Unity Day (October 16) to take a united stand against hate of all forms.

Student cooking with his mom

Ingredients for muffins and quesadillas lined the culinary arts kitchen at Mount Vernon High School, as the MVCSD pre-K students were invited to Kids in the Kitchen on Thursday, October 24, 2024, a collaboration with Feeding Westchester. Kids in the Kitchen is an ongoing series of workshops where pre-K families are invited to learn about healthy eating habits and practice cooking skills.