LaQuinn Thompson: The Visionary

BY JJ SHEFFER | DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

LaQuinn Thompson had a clear vision of where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do from the time he was 14 years old.

Born and raised in York, he started working at The Lighthouse youth center when he was a freshman at York High.

“My goal and dream was to come back to York,” Thompson says. “I started to realize how much of an impact that program had for me, and it motivated me to give back to the youth who were coming up after me. I knew for a fact that after college, I wanted to come back home and continue doing this kind of work.”

His next vision for himself and the youth he was serving was also clear. He saw an opportunity to use esports as a vehicle to engage students and help them build social, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Esports – the realm of electronic gaming that mirrors traditional sports in terms of its competitive structure and career opportunities – has provided the perfect platform for Thompson to help York youth find a sense of community and a path forward in their own lives.

The youth we’re working with are very open to diversity. They’ve very open to people being who they are. That was my hope. They’re leading that change as peers and young leaders.

In 2018, he founded The B.E.A.S.T Initiative, a nonprofit that hosts community gaming nights and tournaments. Thompson says that, like traditional sports, only a small percentage of the gamers will make it to the pros, so B.E.A.S.T Initiative programming primarily focuses on the myriad career opportunities in the esports industry, including streaming and content creation, photography and videography, event planning and organizing, commentating, and coaching, in addition to competitive gaming itself. The program shows students how to be good digital citizens and provides leadership opportunities for the students, who are the face of the program, responsible for scheduling, organizing, and promoting community game nights.

As traditional sports came to a halt during the pandemic, esports grew. B.E.A.S.T. Initiative’s virtual presence has expanded to include youth from across Pennsylvania, New York, and Texas.

Thompson is seeing his vision and hopes realized through the students.

“The youth we’re working with are very open to diversity. They’ve very open to people being who they are. That was my hope. They’re leading that change as peers and young leaders.”

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