The Community, Connections & Commerce Podcast, presented by OUE & St. Clairsville Chamber - Community and Connections Season 2 Episode 6 with Brendan M. Thailand

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

Welcome back to Community and Connections. I'm Drake Watson along with Jason Garsik, and we are thrilled to be joined by Brendan Markham today in Ohio University alum, and that makes, I guess, two and a half of us, however you want to look at that. But, Brendan, we're so glad you could come on this morning. You had quite the hike, I understand. So we really appreciate it. And you've got a lot of stories to tell that kind of, I guess, all tie into the, university and things like that. So I guess to start, if you could give us a little bit of a background about who you are, where you're from, and I guess your life up until the point of

going to Ohio University. And you went to Eastern, correct? Yeah. Yes. Well, a little bit about me. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky. I was born in Lexington, Kentucky, but when I was seven, I moved to Eastern Kentucky with my grandparents. And from there, When I was about 14, my mom, well, that town down there was only about 280 people, the town I'm from, so it was really small. But my mom decided to move to Ohio. She got married, and we ended up in Lancaster, Ohio. Okay. And I graduated from Lancaster High School.

And then I moved to Zanesville, Ohio for a while, and raised my family there. And then I went through a weight loss surgery, lost a bunch of weight, and life changes. in weight loss as drastic as I had. I was 489 pounds at my highest, and I'm like 150 pounds. So it made a big change in my life between the surgeries and then recouping from the surgeries. I actually went through a divorce during that time too and job change. And then when all that happened one day and during that weight loss, everybody, I was so sad. and everything everybody just decided like taking advantage of me they my divorce my wife got most

everything from that and what they didn't get people just took a lot of advantage of me at a time when I was ill so when I was recouping from everything I thought man there's got to be a way to stand up for yourself and the rights of others are people that go unseen or unheard and I was driving by. I'd moved out here. I lived in Zanesville first and running from a guy there in Zanesville and he gave me an opportunity to buy a house from him here that he had setting out here in Belmont County. So I jumped on that opportunity and on my way driving home from Zanesville seeing my kids one day. I said, there's got to be somewhere to help people of a disadvantage or people that go through bad, hard times like this and are just bluntly taking advantage of in a time

a need. So I seen a science at Ohio University and I jumped off the freeway and I said I'm going to go back to school. I'm a non-traditional student. And when I got off the ramp, I ended up at Belmont College. So my first two years was at Belmont College. I went in and they had a criminal justice program and I said that's exactly what I want to do and go into some type of civil service or something. So I got into Belmont and my goal was to keep a 3.0 average and I excelled way further than what I thought I was going to do. I had a lot of achievements at Belmont College. They put me on a lot of spotlights there. And when I got done with my associate's degree, I said, man, what am I going to do now? I said, you know, every time I was going to Belmont College, I seen Ohio University over and

I still have my mindset I'm going to Ohio University. Yeah. So I went straight over from my associates and signed up at Ohio University. And you studied, you continued with criminal justice when you went into there. Yeah, I still took criminal justice there. I also went to Ohio Police Academy at Eastern Gateway Community College. Well, I was at Ohio University, too. Yeah.

And then I graduated from Ohio University. and but while I was at Ohio University I had I had several opportunities there I really excelled there too a lot I did a lot better than what I thought I was going to in both colleges making deans list provost list I worked with that Belmont college I worked with Kevin Flanagan a Belmont county prosecuting's office and Belmont County's been great with me the state highway patrol I did some papers through them there. I also got some interviews with the FBI that I got into, which was really good while I was at Belmont. Ohio University Dean Roe Hall was great with me there. I worked at the university some on a student work program while I was there too. And Ohio University just kept

growing. They had opportunity to come up to go to Thailand, and that was a fabulous trip. But Ohio University was one of the best experience. Actually, I'm getting ready to go into my master's now. Oh, really? That's wonderful. Are you doing that through Eastern or through Athens? I have to take my master's at Athens only because the University Eastern campus is a regional campus. They don't offer that master's program there.

But some of the things of Ohio University, like I came across the Thailand trip. that was just a fabulous thing to do they don't have like Ohio University Eastern doesn't have the resources like the Athens campus does really to lead you so you kind of had to follow your own footsteps and grants and scholarships as offered I filled out for the Gilman Scholarship Award while I was there wrote several papers to try to get it even though you even if you do or didn't get the National Scholarship O, they do award you something for applying, so. Okay. So did this trip to Thailand, did it tie into your degree?

Exactly, or was it an opportunity to study abroad? It actually was an opportunity to study abroad, and it tied in with my program. I needed a Coms 4100, so it helped with my Coms 4100, but also it gave me a better aspect in a criminal justice field to to see a different culture or race to understand people from a whole different you know another country compared to just regular Americans what what they would go through here if they were here is basically I put myself in going through there in their country you know what I mean and plus that would give me a better aspect like if I had to encounter anybody from there over here and their beliefs and their traditions

to ours. But while we were there, we were teaching, we went over to teach American Customs and English to the Mordock Mai Academy, which is an international arts academy over there. And that was a wonderful experience. Here, we spent a week and a half learning the culture and everything in Thailand. And we went to Chiang Mai. We went to Bangkok afterwards. But we stopped in South Korea on the way there, and I went through Tokyo on the way back. which was another experience in both. But the experience with the students over there, I thought I was going there to teach them.

And we were able to teach and communicate. And I got fortunate I had the best English-speaking student they had. And so it was really great. Her name was Tanam. But while we were there, I think they taught us more than we could ever talk them, to be honest, with you. They were very, very artistic in music. Actually, the university just had them come.

They came over and visited us here just at the end of spring. They had traveled back to America and went. They went to Athens. I met them in Lancaster. They performed in Lancaster, and they also performed them in Athens as well. So I got to see this soon, and I thought over here again, too. So it was wonderful. Yeah.

And you think you would have to imagine. imagine that anytime you're kind of displacing yourself and going in the midst of some other culture it's kind of bound to happen that you're going to learn more than you know even though that you were there to teach to teach some folks you ended up learning more about their culture their traditions their beliefs and everything how much of an impact did that have on you do you think when you came back and kind of seeing things in a different because not only do you see the differences between Thailand and the United States but that I think allows you to see the differences between people in general and is that kind of a perspective that you had coming back and

kind of what you used communicating with people since then it's it was one I had before I even left that was my that was my soul given purpose so I'm I'm big on the studies of other people even though I'm from the Appalachian right of the heart of I one of my classes I took was Appalachian sociology classes at Ohio Eastern as well and it and I chose that class just to see what their views on Appalachian was and and that that was very a very good class I like to and that and the religion I when I studied religion and then I seen the ad for Thailand come up at the university it was posted on a wall that's another reason it drove me to go. But I like I like to know in I guess the study of people all the way

around all the time. You mentioned Dean Rojas just a few moments ago and he was kind of a big part of getting this started. He was this is one of the things that he really wanted to want it to see happen and you know we're glad to kind of carry it out and it kind of comes full circle when somebody like you comes on and we talk to and you've got roots with Ohio you and mentioning Dean Rojo. It's kind of a cool thing, and especially your opportunity to Thailand. I think with all of that kind of in the past, what is your perspective if you had to summarize it on what Ohio University, whether it's the Eastern branch or any of the branches, Zanesville, Lancaster, Southern, and the kind of opportunities that they can provide to people in life, whether they

be a traditional student straight out of high school or non-traditional, such as yourself, or anybody. I mean, You have to imagine that, you know, it's something that, as you said, I feel like, can kind of turn your life around and really help you out a big way. Oh, Ohio University is definitely, it is, it's more than welcoming. At all the universities, even at Athens, like you said, I had to deal with, or I had to encounter with some of the teachers in Athens and some of the teachers in Lancaster, they were a combined group. going to Thailand so and it's been very welcoming at Ohio University on all the aspects the eastern campus goes I think the eastern campus goes kind of notice being a regional campus out here kind of hidden a little bit but the school overall I couldn't even talk higher about it it's been it's been great they

they've been wonderful to me while I've been there so how long were you in Thailand? We were in Thailand for about two weeks. Okay. What would you say to anyone listening this podcast about maybe they're thinking about wanting to go abroad? Maybe they're, you know, they got hesitancies. They'd never been out of the country. What, what insights would you provide to them? I'll be honest with you. I've never, I've never flown commercially before in my life. I've flown up private, but both times I did was flight, flight lessons I took on my own. And so the overall experience of traveling and studying abroad is more than wonderful. Actually, I thought about going into international studies even since then because of it.

And I can't even – to take a trip like that, if you get the chance or opportunity to do so, I would not turn it down again. I would definitely go. It's an amazing experience. In what ways did you have to prepare? like did you already have your passport in place or did you have to I'd never travel before sure sure did the university help you out with that I mean yeah um yeah they do they give you a reimbursement on it but you pretty much got to follow the steps with with uh they they lead you and give you

the directions in what to do so I'd never had a passport before I had to do that then they prepare us we have we took some classes before we went and had some meetings and stuff we had to learn some basic tie and how to speak and some of the foods and the food allergens and warnings of the way things are over there compared to here like over here restaurants have dishwashing machines and dishwashers over there they're washing them out of tubs on the streets so you've got to prepare yourself some people don't take to the food and as well as others. Some people's a little more gut strong than others are. And sometimes people might feel a little fluish or sick or something like that. They prepared us for jet lag because it was a 14-hour

flight on one of them and eight-hour on another one. So when we got there, we were literally a day ahead from here. So we were 24 hours ahead of what time it was here. So it's basically like we never left. Time travel a little bit. Have you traveled since then or wanted to travel since then? I mean, maybe not to Asia, but to, you know, has that opened your, I guess, mind to, even if you haven't, I mean, have you been wanting to travel since then? Yes, I can't get it off my mind.

Actually, Thailand, I've talked about going back even, but Thailand was a very warming country. I mean, they were very welcoming. The animosity is low over there. And for no traffic laws over, I can't believe they don't have road rage even. I know any people over it's just it's amazing but it's made me want actually I really thought about going into international studies and with my master's degree and I spoke with one of my instructors over there about it that I had that went to Thailand Ohio University of Athens about it even so and I still communicate with them the group that went to Thailand we have

classes where they have more studies on stuff and movies that we go and watch sometimes and we meet up, they have actually a club for international studies. Now, how old were you when you went to OUE for the first time and then when you went on that trip? When I got to OUE, I was the first time I was 49. I went on a trip when I was 50, so. And do you think the, now have you, had you traveled like that before then or no? I'd never, I'd never traveled. traveled uh well i traveled the united states a lot i managed i managed a trucking company for years so

i have my class aced so i've traveled all over the country but i'd never been you know over any type of waters okay and do you think i mean i guess this doesn't really apply to you but i think somebody who's a little bit younger in let's say the position that you were in and they have an opportunity to travel and study abroad. I mean, how important do you think it is for somebody like that to have that experience to kind of add to their perspective as they go about life? I mean, is that something that you think is important? Yes, very much so.

And the biggest thing is with the younger culture is that we need to understand, too, that there's a lot of safety risk, and you really got to keep your mind in the right frame when you're traveling to other countries like that there's just there's crimes and stuff over there that happen that isn't going to be normal to them or they're not going to recognize because of their age at that point you know i mean i'm unfortunately like me i am a non-traditional student i've lived a lot of years i've seen a lot of things and uh there's a lot that they haven't so you definitely want to keep uh safety awareness i think that's that's pretty good uh advice especially for anybody who is kind of in that 18 to 22, 23 age range,

and they're potentially, they have an opportunity to travel abroad through the university or in general. I think that's a good piece of advice. We were there during New Year's in Chiang Mai. Oh, really? So it's like being at the Big Apple, you know, I mean, on New Year's. So you can only imagine, and there's people from every country. It's warm there in the winter.

so it's it's definitely the place where everybody goes people a lot of people from Australia come up and so it was more than packed yeah you took a few classes while you were in this in in Thailand or just one just one it was my comms 40100 and did it tie in directly with your time there yes it did the the class was pretty much based around our experiences with learning communication and being able to communicate to others so and which is good with in the field I'm going into with criminal justice so it panned out I was the only only criminal justice person in the class so I don't know what all everybody else were you don't know what other majors were no not all of them they they were they were kind of sporadic all the different majors

how long ago was this your trip I just got back in January this year. Okay, okay. So you're still, okay. We left December, 2024 and came back January, 2025. And this, I think for the sake of whoever's listening, we're recording in July of 25, and this probably will be out around February, I would say,

January, February, March of 26. But, I mean, just in that short amount of time, I mean, what has life been to? you since then I guess oh it's it's been fabulous actually I just got custody of my son full custody of my 14 year old so um and now I'm learning a whole new life experience it's been visitations for years but now he come to live with dad so I'm learning something all new with that um raising a teenager now but it's been a great experience we've went on vacation this year and um just taking a break summer from school before I get started back and I'm going not just be starting myself

and I'll have to be overseeing him in school as well and I'm still working I'll work at Sargis youth detention center so in Belmont County which some of my internship led me there with Ohio University so I worked my internship with the Belmont County Juvenile Probation Office and Also, I did some of my work out in Flushing with Chief Leak, the Chief of Police in Flushing, to get some of my community engagement and stuff I got over with in some of my other classes, but my internships.

But just working now and raising my son, I guess, until school starts back. It sounds like you had a lot of valuable internship opportunities in your program. You went to a variety of different groups within Belmont County. Yeah. How was that in formation of your degree, you know, where it's brought you today? I'll be honest with you. Belmont County's been the best opportunity I've ever had between Ohio University and Belmont County itself. And like I said earlier, I liked the study of people.

So my internship with Kevin Flanagan and the prosecutors, through Belmont College and led me into, you know, the adult life and the things that go on in the justice field, as well as then turning around at Ohio University and taking an internship through Sargis and the juvenile probation office gave me an aspect on the younger people's lives. And with me being non-traditional, it kind of fits in with my entire life. You know, growing up it was just me and my mom and I was in a broken home and everything so I understand how some of the youth and what they're going through you know what I mean and and some of the life challenges I've had throughout my life I understand what you know the adults have been through but to get an

overall perspective from the courts view and the and the probation office with juveniles and everything and tying it all together. I think is what really help me do as well as I did in school. I mean, I just, I can't believe I achieve as well as I did and have, and I just keep waiting for the next opportunity to open up, you know what I mean, and see where it goes from there. Another thing we talk about is, is when we've talked about Ohio University, you know, at great length so far but just the community around Belmont County as you said in general

the opportunities within the community the the people that you meet I mean I've always we always try to you know speak well of the of the community and one of the things that I hold in the highest regards is the people of the community and you know how the relationships that are built and the connections that are made and all those things and I mean that's some of the things that that you experience when you're when you're in Belmont County or anywhere in the area as well. Yeah, Belmont County, like I said, I've been in books for four years, so most of my encounters have been with people that I've worked with in my internships, you know,

or at the college or at my job or basically Walmart, you know, going grocery shopping, but I haven't had much time to intertwine with individual people on a normal relationship, but everything that Belmont County itself has had to offer is I can't even talk more highly about it. So Belmont County has been a great place for me this far. Yeah. Yeah, it's a good place to be. And I think there's a lot of folks, you know, and we'll have similar things to say about the area in general. Jason, do you have anything?

I don't think so. Well, if there's nothing else that you have to add, Brendan. Nothing really on my end. You guys got anything else you need to notice? No, I enjoyed hearing about your trip to Thailand, your experience there. So that was really awesome to hear. You know, when I was in school, I wanted to study abroad, but never took the opportunity. I'm telling you that once again, if you get that opportunity, if anybody out there gets that opportunity,

even though you're at a regional campus, they have it. offer you don't see it as much through the regional campuses it's not promoted as much as it would be at the main campus but the opportunities are there and and the funding's there too to help with the cost i mean there's scholarships that you can apply for and that's the biggest thing because it is costly some of the trips but there's scholarships that you can apply for and you you get scholarship money for even just applying, you know what I mean? Even if you don't actually receive the full amount, you get something towards the cost. And the university pays back like your passport fees and this and that. So it's definitely something if somebody's out there, it wants to do it.

Me being non-traditional, having my own house and everything, it helped out and having my own finances compared to most students that don't. But the opportunity is there if you just apply. it yeah well we're grateful for the opportunity to speak with you today this is this has been great and we hope everyone listening and enjoyed it as much as we did for we really appreciate your time for for Brennan Markham Jason Garsick I'm Drake Watson saying thanks for listening to Community and Connections and have a great day