Afua Nuro, Staff Writer
Kim Griswold works as a tutor in SUNY Oneonta’s Center for Academic Development and Enrichment, where she helps students improve their reading skills. Additionally she teaches college learning strategies. Her goal is to make every learning experience valuable for all of her students. Griswold has a love for teaching; however, she didn’t always have this passion.
When Griswold started attending college she wanted to study floriculture. Her family owned a floral business and she began working in the family business when she was ten years old. She received her first degree in floriculture at SUNY Cobleskill. As an undergraduate, she took an interest in English. She decided then that she should become an English teacher. Griswold came to SUNY Oneonta and got her bachelor’s in education with a concentration in English and later her master’s in English education. It was not a hard decision for Griswold to choose SUNY Oneonta as a place to teach and complete her education because she grew up in the area and wanted to stay near her family.
While completing her master’s degree she started to substitute teach at local schools, eventually receiving a fulltime position as an English and reading teacher at St. Mary’s Middle School in Oneonta. She then heard about an opening as a professional tutor at SUNY Oneonta and felt it would be a good way to advance her career as a college professor. She started working at SUNY Oneonta in 2004 and has enjoyed all of her experiences here. “I always liked working with struggling students and seeing their delight when they figured something challenging out, so tutoring and teaching college success strategy classes was a perfect fit for me,” said Griswold.
Before she received her master’s degree and started her career as a teacher, she spent many years traveling and kayaking and soon after, training to compete in the Olympics. Traveling with the U.S. Kayak Team was by far the most exciting thing she has ever done. She started competing seriously as a kayaker when she was 15 years old, placing 13th at the World Championships in Berlin and 17th in the Olympics trials. After the years she spent in the Olympics, she started teaching, but never gave up her love for kayaking.
Griswold remembers her most spontaneous moment while traveling cross-country. She was camping and came across a family who had just come from a rattlesnake round-up. They offered her some rattlesnakes, which she politely declined, but was very intrigued by their stories. Griswold has travelled cross-country three times by herself and has met many people, but she says their family and their stories were the most memorable.
Along with her passion for teaching, she has a strong love for her family. She is married and has four children. Her oldest son will be attending SUNY Oneonta in the fall. Griswold has always wanted to be in a profession that involves helping people. She gets the most satisfaction when she can help a struggling student become successful and accomplish his or her goals.
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