After earning a degree in political science from Washington College, Kentavius Jones ’04 M’15 made his way across the country and back, all while maintaining his connection to the local community.

Jones grew up near Chestertown, attending Easton High School, before choosing to pursue a degree at Washington. At the College, he was a star lacrosse player who also pursued his passions for music, history, and education.

His local fame was such that there was a time in the early 2000s when his band Hot Rock and the Heat Strokes played in the bar or in the outbuilding behind the former O’Connors Pub on most weekends. Jones, the band’s guitarist and lead singer, fondly remembers those nights playing ‘uncut’ music and experiencing the energy and emotion from the folks in the room.

After graduating, Jones set out to pursue a solo music career.

“I spent a lot of time traveling across the U.S. I was out in Los Angeles recording music and in New York performing and recording, just trying to pursue a career fueled by my passion for music,” he said. “I quickly learned all about the good and bad of the music business. After a couple of bad contracts and less than favorable experiences, I made the decision to come back to the Shore.”

Over a decade after graduating with his bachelor’s, Jones returned to Washington College and completed his master’s in history in 2015. With that, a new passion ignited in him, this time for educating young people. He worked in Caroline and Dorchester counties as a teacher, starting as a substitute before teaching sixth-grade social studies for six years.

Jones still works with public school students, but in a different capacity today. He’s the executive director at Talbot Mentors, a non-profit organization in Easton, having moved up the ranks from curriculum manager. Talbot Mentors is a youth organization that focuses on empowering young people by building strong mentoring connections, providing academic support, and developing the soft skills needed for lifelong success.