Faculty and Staff

Christina Thomas

Founder/Head of School. Adolescent Guide

The Journey School is a private, non-profit, middle school founded by Christina Thomas in 2015. Christina recieved her Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary's College of Maryland and a Master of Arts in Leadership in Teaching with a Maryland State Teacher Certification from College of Notre Dame of Maryland and has over 25 years of teaching experience. She left her Howard County middle school teaching position to pursue her dream of opening her own Montessori-based middle school. Having experienced Montessori as a mother of two Montessori educated girls and seeing the impact that a deep, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate program had on them, she wished to see this continue into the middle school years. Dr. Montessori's method for elementary-aged children rang true for Christina as an educator, and she desired to see it used for older children who would benefit from the freedom, independence, and responsibility of being thoughtfully engaged in their own learning. Noting that most Montessori programs end at the upper elementary level (grade 6), she saw an opportunity for one that focused on the middle school years and developed a program that would attract a variety of students from all backgrounds - Montessori, public, private, and home schooled. Christina received her certificate from the AMI Montessori Orientation to Adolescent Studies and opened The Journey School, a Montessori Middle School in 2015, that expanded to include an elementary school in 2019. In addition, she completed an Elementary Assistant's Workshop in July 2021 from the Institute of Advanced Montessori Studies.
Christina is honored to be the recipient of a 2023 Women Making History Award presented by the Montgomery Commission for Women and Montgomery Women that recognizes outstanding women in Montgomery County who are making significant contributions to their vocations and to the community.
In addition, she was awarded the 2023 Velma Clark -Agriculture in the Classroom by the Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation.