October Alumni of the Month: Rachel Griffin

DPSF’s October DPS Alumni of the Month is Rachel Griffin! Born and raised in Durham, Rachel has deep roots in the DPS community, having attended Forest View Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Neal Middle School, and Shepard Middle School’s IB Program before graduating from Hillside High School in 2008.

After completing her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2013, Rachel earned her Masters in School Counseling from Liberty University in December 2022. She now serves as an elementary school counselor for DPS, giving back to the district that played a significant role in shaping her.

Rachel describes DPS as a community built on family, legacy, and a strong sense of belonging. Attending Hillside High, where many of her family members, including her grandmother, graduated, was an honor for her. The experiences DPS provided helped her grow both as a person and an educator, and she strives to create the same meaningful memories for the students she now serves. Read our interview with Rachel below.

DPSF: Tell us about you - what DPS schools did you attend? What are you doing now?

Rachel: I was born and raised in Durham, NC. I attended Forest View Elementary until 4th grade and then attended Oak Grove Elementary. I attended Neal Middle School for 6th grade and then got accepted into the IB Program at Shepard Middle School. From there I attended Hillside High School where I graduated in 2008. 

I got my undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in fall of 2013 and graduated with a Masters in School Counseling December 2022 from Liberty University. I am currently an elementary school counselor for DPS. 

DPSF: What does DPS or your school community mean to you? How has it helped shape you into who you are today?

Rachel: Three words that I would use to describe what DPS means to me are family, legacy, and community. It was an honor for me to attend high school at Hillside High School, noy only because of the history of the school but also because many members of my family graduated from Hillside all the way back to my grandmother who graduated from Hillside in 1954. 

DPS has helped me grow and develop as a person and an educator by creating experiences that are memorable and meaningful and I want to create those memories for the students I serve.

DPSF: What’s your favorite memory from your time at DPS?

Rachel: Many of my favorite memories from my time at DPS were in high school. One of my favorite memories was being a part of the AVID Program. As a participant in the AVID program, I was able to learn note-taking and organizational skills, get help with applying to scholarships and colleges, receive additional academic support, and explore colleges and careers on college tours. At the end of my senior year, we hosted a banquet for the graduating seniors where we all got dressed up and came together with our families to celebrate our success and reflect on our experiences in the AVID Program. It was a really special experience!

DPSF: Is there a teacher who influenced you most along the way? What's their name and how did they make a difference? 

Rachel: I have two teachers that come to mind that influenced me. One is Dr. Kelvin Bullock who was my 10th grade Civics and Economics teacher. Although my class gave him a hard time his first year teaching I really enjoyed how he continued to give us the space to explore learning in a new way and the relationships that he formed with his students was really special. 

Another teacher who influenced me is Ms. Nancy Gallman who was my AVID teacher. She really pushed us and encouraged us to be our best selves. She not only taught us skills to achieve our goals academically but also skills that would take us far in life.

DPSF: What’s one piece of advice you would give to current DPS students?

Rachel: One piece of advice I would give to current DPS students is to build strong, lasting relationships with not only your peers but with your teachers and other staff. Building strong relationships provides you a support system of friends and mentors that can help you navigate challenging moments and celebrate your successes. It also creates a network that may come in handy to establish connections when it comes to college, jobs and career opportunities. It is a good feeling working in DPS and connecting with those who are still DPS employees who I have made connections with when I was a student.

Are you interested in becoming a DPS Alumni of the Month? Find more information here: https://www.bullcityschools.org/alumni