Griffins always rise to the occasion, both in life and work. Check out the Griffins who’ve been making a
difference during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Victoria Hercolini '15
Victoria is a history teacher at
Austin Meehan Middle School in
Northeast Philadelphia and has
had to adapt her teaching style to
fit the needs of her students in an
online environment.
Jihan Latimer '20
During COVID-19, Jihan has
been working on distributing her
inspirational books to anyone who
is struggling during the pandemic
and need positivity. She is an
avid writer, and her books range
from graphic novels to fiction
novels. Her next writing project
is a Halloween book for middle
schoolers to distribute this fall.
Tim Smyth '08
Tim currently works with the
U.S. State Department in a
virtual exchange program. They
are working with educators in
impoverished areas on every
continent, excluding Antarctica.
They are showing them how to
increase student engagement and
literacy skills using comic books
and showing how storytelling
through comics can empower
children around the world through
our shared values of humanity.
“We teachers are doing everything we can to keep our
kiddos learning, growing, and staying positive! We’ve
had to completely change the way we teach, how we
reach students, and supporting families at home.”
- Victoria Hercolini '15
"It’s been an amazing experience working alongside
these educators who are also sharing about their
struggles with quarantine and the global pandemic. It
has really enforced that we are truly one world and we
all share so much in common.”
- Tim Smyth '08