Jonathan Liston, an engineering teacher at Henry E. Lackey High School, was recently honored as a teacher-mentor through the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill Presidential Scholars Program after a former student, Raymond Guzzone, named him as an influential mentor upon being selected as a 2026-2027 Merrill Scholar.
The program honors the University of Maryland’s top graduating seniors alongside the K-12 and college mentors who guided them. It was created in 2004 by the late Philip Merrill, a publisher and philanthropist, to build a community of scholars, faculty and teachers who recognize the importance of mentorship; honored K-12 teachers typically have a $1,500 scholarship awarded in their name to an incoming UMD student from their school district. Guzzone, Lackey’s valedictorian in 2023 who enrolled at the University of Maryland to study mechanical engineering, credited Liston for his honesty, guidance and care as well as his broader impact on students.
Before joining Charles County Public Schools, Liston — a Greensboro College graduate with a math degree — worked for the U.S. Navy before shifting into education. “I just wanted to help kids understand math,” he said. “It was a dying skill.” He taught math at Lackey for four years before moving into the school’s Project Lead the Way: Engineering pathway in 2005, where he later helped launch the program at additional CCPS high schools as it expanded.
Liston said he aims to make sure every student leaves his classroom with skills they can carry into the workforce, recalling that he taught Guzzone’s siblings in the pathway before teaching Guzzone himself. “I hope that Ray’s experience is typical of every student that I teach,” Liston said. “I try to make sure all of my kids have a positive experience.”
Current students echo that sentiment. Lackey senior Stacy Bonilla said Liston’s teaching style has shaped her academic habits. “Mr. Liston makes class super fun in an engaging way and doesn’t make learning a chore,” she said. “I am a more responsible person because he is consistent with his expectations.” Fellow senior Zion Nelson, who has had Liston’s capstone class since freshman year, said the hands-on nature of the coursework deepened his interest in pursuing engineering after graduation.
Liston, who attended Charles County Public Schools from elementary school through Lackey himself, said that background shapes how he approaches building an engaging classroom. Each year, the University of Maryland’s academic colleges select outstanding seniors as Merrill Presidential Scholars, who in turn choose the K-12 and university mentors they credit with their success.
