My Mentor, Ms. Grimley

Please say hello to Ms. Trisha Grimley, my high school mentor who has grown to be a life mentor and friend.

In this 365 Days of Service segment on King Kekaulike High School, we must feature Ms. Grimley, a dedicated staff member who truly cares about her students.

I proudly serve as Witness #1 on Ms. Grimley's goodness to this world.

I was fortunate to meet with Ms. Grimley during my junior year of high school when she started as our high school's Student Activities Coordinator. Being a student that was very involved in Student Activities activities, Ms. Grimley quickly earned my respect for her depth of knowledge and experience in her position. Even better, she was a very supportive staff member who I grew to know and trust and she was simply joyful all the time. 

Throughout high school, my fellow classmates and I worked very closely with Ms. Grimley. She guided and supported us in everything from the student government to our proms, homecomings, and balls - and everything in between. She taught our Leadership class where we had time to not only work on these different projects, but develop leadership skills that we continue to use to this day.

She could have easily considered herself a job-well-done with the time she invested in us in our Leadership classes alone, yet she chose to generously give more. Personally, I remember her checking in to make sure that I was doing well both academically, extra-curiccular-ly, and personally. I specifically remember times when she was the boost of encouragement I needed, gave me strength to advocate for myself, or even expressed her pride in me - which in turn allowed me to feel proud of myself. And back to the note about how simply joyful she was all the time... she did all of this with a smile on her face and a good spirit in her heart.

Fast-forward over 10 years later and Ms. Grimley is still all of these wonderful things to me. She thinks of me, considers me to be important, encourages me, asks about my work, my California living, and reminds me to keep a good and healthy perspective on life. 

Through all these years it seems the guidance, support, and love Ms. Grimley has provided me has been all the same. Whether I was a teen navigating the challenges of high school life, a recent college grad trying to find a place in the world, or a young professional working hard in a career I believed in, she has supported and encouraged me, offered guidance on my way, and been a listening ear so I could express myself. She cares about my success and she cares about me. 

Her only responsibility to me was a 1.25 hour, 4th period class over ten years ago.

If I could make one wish for every student, it would be for each one of them to find their "Ms. Grimley," their mentor that ultimately leads them to believe in themself. The world seems like a much more supportive place that way.

Thank you, Ms. Grimley, for 10 years of guidance and love and for being my living example of how to lead and live a happy, fulfilling life. To many, many more years to come...