Fishburne grads hear from former cadet

John Thompson stood before the graduating class of Fishburne Military School on Saturday, an award-winning architect from San Francisco.
But two decades ago, Thompson recalled being a freshman at the Waynesboro military school who was forced to perform 100 punishment tours by school officials for his failure to behave.
“I resolved I would learn from the experience,” said Thompson. He learned that success often comes from failure, and said the “wonderful thing about this place is that people don’t give up on you.”
By his senior year, Thompson had become Fishburne’s battalion commander and an athlete participating on the wrestling, cross country, tennis and track teams.
Thompson told the 31 graduates about the caring teachers and classmates he found at Fishburne, and of the wisdom he has gained since becoming an architect.
He urged the students to be creative, accountable and show “a willingness to learn.”
He said a sense of humor is important, and said one of Fishburne’s most valuable lessons to him was teaching him how to co-exist with others.
And of further education, Thompson said it is not just in the classroom.
While studying architecture at Virginia Tech, he said a professor challenged him to sketch everything he saw outside the classroom, from church doors to the landscape of parks.
“He forced us to step outside our comfort zones,” Thompson said. He told the students they should also step outside their comfort zone, while at the same time he told them to be selective about where they work and live.
“Live a life of no regrets,” said Thompson, who also urged the students to nurture others.
Saturday’s commencement at First Presbyterian Church was the school’s 129th.
Shane Alexander Rosencrance, of Charleston, W.Va., was named the school’s valedictorian and Samuel Joseph Cropp, of Batavia, Ohio, was named class salutatorian.