LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥

𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, N.J. — Kevin Thurston pauses for a moment, the way he often does — not for effect, but out of habit. After decades of measured decisions, steady leadership, and calm conversations in busy hallways, reflection comes naturally.

“It just went by so fast,” Thurston said, soft-spoken but steady, a reflective pause settling in as he offered a simple smile. “You look up one day and realize how many years have passed, but it feels like it was just yesterday.”

Friday, Jan. 30, marks Thurston’s final day in Linden Public Schools, closing a career that stretched more than 32 years in the district and touched generations of students, staff, and families.

Thurston served about 10 years as vice principal at Soehl Middle School and more than 15 years as vice principal at Linden High School, working closely with students through multiple graduating classes. A U.S. Army veteran and former major, he brought decades of leadership experience from military service into education, where he served as a teacher, mentor, and administrator for more than three decades.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

Before entering education, Thurston served in the United States Army, enlisting in 1977 and later earning a commission through Officer Candidate School. His military career took him across the United States and overseas, including assignments in Germany during the era of the Berlin Wall’s fall, as well as service in Korea and Panama. Rising from sergeant to major, Thurston gained leadership experience in high-pressure environments, managing people, operations, and responsibility at scale.

“The military taught me discipline, structure, and how to lead,” Thurston said. “That carried right over into education — learning how to work with people, how to stay focused, and how to handle responsibility.”

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧…𝐀𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

Thurston began his Linden career in September 1993, following a brief teaching assignment in Jersey City. His arrival in the district was nearly accidental — a wrong turn, a stop at the Board of Education, and a conversation sparked by his status as a military veteran.

What followed was a career that began in the classroom and steadily grew.

He entered Linden as an elementary school teacher, initially teaching third grade before transitioning into math instruction. During this period, Thurston earned advanced degrees in public administration and educational leadership, while also teaching adult education math at night.

𝐀 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐞𝐡𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥

In January 2000, Thurston was appointed interim vice principal at Soehl, later becoming permanent in the role. For roughly a decade, he helped guide students through the pivotal middle school years — a time marked by rapid growth, challenge, and transition.

While his career included moments of disappointment, including not advancing to a principalship, Thurston accepted those moments with characteristic perspective.

“You take it in stride,” he said. “You do the job in front of you.”

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬: 𝐀 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Thurston transferred to Linden High School in July 2010, where he served as vice principal for more than 15 years, remaining in the role until his retirement. Through the district’s looping system, he worked with multiple classes from freshman year through graduation, building relationships that extended well beyond the school walls.

He became known for his daily visibility — in hallways, common areas, and conversations that ranged from discipline to encouragement to simple check-ins.

“One of the best feelings,” Thurston remarked, “is running into former students who recognize me before I recognize them. They’ll remind me of something, and then it all comes back.”

𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮

In the days leading up to his departure, the high school and the district paused to show Thurston the appreciation he has long deflected but clearly earned. Last week, the entire Linden High School staff gathered on the front steps of the building for a group photo in his honor, a quiet but meaningful tribute to a colleague whose steady presence has anchored the school for more than a decade.

On his final day, that appreciation became public and personal when Superintendent Atiya Y. Perkins and Linden Mayor Derek Armstead stopped by the high school Monday morning and, over the intercom, offered words of gratitude, respect, and appreciation for Thurston’s years of service and lasting impact on generations of Linden students.

The acknowledgments continued Friday evening, when many of Thurston’s longtime friends and colleagues gather for a farewell dinner at the Stage House in Mountainside, closing the day in the company of those who have shared the journey with him.

𝐀 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞

Reflecting on his career, Thurston describes his time in Linden as a “good run.” He speaks candidly about the challenges of education and the changes he has witnessed over time, but says his focus never wavered.

“I accepted students as they were,” he said. “Every group was different. Every class had its own personality.”

As he steps away from education, Thurston said he will miss the daily interaction with people most — the conversations with students, the camaraderie with colleagues, and the rhythm of school life. A self-described people person, he has no plans to slow down completely.

“I can’t just sit still,” he said. “I still want to keep moving.”

As Kevin Thurston’s final day comes to a close, his legacy is not defined by titles or timelines, but by presence — a steady voice, a calm demeanor, and decades of service shaped equally by military leadership and a deep commitment to education.

And though the years may have passed quickly, the impact remains: in classrooms, hallways, and the lives of those who still greet him with familiarity and respect: “Mr. Thurston.”

𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙚𝙡 𝘼. 𝙒𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙨

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