With her warm, open arms and motivating words, Kyla Griffin has touched the lives of many students in unimaginable ways.
“We need to educate the entire child,” Griffin said.
Griffin grew up in a small town in Louisiana. Her mother was an educator and her father spent a lot of time giving back to the community. Even through time spent with her loved ones, she understood that there was meaning and value behind every moment. Griffin’s father raised her with the idea that there is a lesson to be learned each and every day.
“I grew up being very, very involved in the community, and they always instilled the importance of giving back,” said Griffin.
Here at CVHS, Griffin plays multiple roles in ensuring that our school runs smoothly. Aside from being the social and emotional counselor and 504 coordinator, she is the coach for the girls JV volleyball team as well as the girls track and field team.
“You get to work with kids that are extremely smart and strategic, and I love that part of athletics,” Griffin said.
Griffin’s coaching sprouted from her love of basketball, which she developed in high school. Coach Lawrence, her high school coach, stayed in touch with Griffin throughout and beyond her high school and college career. To this day, Griffin tells stories of how Lawrence constantly checks up on her and her kids.
“[Coach Lawrence] still plays a major part of my life […] so it didn’t just stop after basketball. It really continued. And even as old as I am now, it still means a lot every time I get a birthday call from Coach Lawrence,” said Griffin
Following in the footsteps of those who guided her, Griffin has become a rock for many students and is the first person they go to in times of need.
To truly touch a student’s life, Griffin has learned that she must connect with a student individually and through their values
“You first need to understand who they are and their background and what’s important to them and their interests,” Griffin said.
A primary way that Griffin helps advocate for and guide students is through her oversight of 504 plans. These 504 plans are specific plans that are set to give kids with disabilities the support they need in high school.
“It just levels the playing field for those students who may have some type of impairment, and it helps them receive the support that they may need in class,” Griffin states.
“It allows them to have the same skills, the same structure, that another student would have if they did not have the impairment,” Griffin said.
Each plan is customized to a student’s needs, implemented and organized by Griffin. Despite the heavy workload, she handles it effortlessly. In each meeting with a student, Griffin has found the reward behind her endless efforts for all students she serves.
“Even if they don’t understand it now, the impact later, when they come back and say, you know, you helped [me], or I got through a tough time because of you… it makes it all worth it,” said Griffin.
Griffin has made remarkable progress in shaping the lives of students here at CVHS. Ultimately, Griffin just wants to help CVHS students, even if she does it behind the scenes. “[I hope to be] light for darkness in any area of either someone’s life or a situation [that] they’re going through,” Griffin stated.
