Rebecca Griffin Aims to Motivate Students

by Jarod Deegan

In the spring of 2016, Professor Rebecca Griffin found herself starting her first day of her new career as a teacher at Cape Cod Community College.

“I was very excited when I first heard about the position the year before,” said Griffin, “I knew that I wanted to work with adults and I knew that I wanted to work in New England, so when the opportunity presented itself I jumped at it.”

Before changing careers, Griffin attended the University of Maine where she earned her Master’s in Creative Writing. She also went to Graduate School at the University of Massachusetts, where she earned her PhD.

As an undergrad, Griffin studied journalism and was the editor of the paper at the University of Maine. After that, she got a job as a reporter for the Eagle Tribune, a newspaper out of North Andover, Massachusetts.

So how does a reporter one day decide that teaching was a better career choice for her?

“When I was in school I had it in the back of my mind that teaching would be something I would pursue,” said Griffin, “One day, while looking through some old journals, I found a note that I had written when I was younger to my older-self. It said that if I were to become a teacher the first assignment would be having the students pick a song lyric and write about how it relates to them. I still use that assignment today”.

Since starting her current job at the college, Griffin has built a strong relationship with her coworkers.

“She has a warm personality,” said Rachel Bancroft, an assistant professor in language and literature here at 4Cs, “She’s willing to talk with teachers and students and tries to make everyone around her better.”

This is a personal mission for griffin, to help people succeed.

“The reason I wanted to work with adults rather than any other age group is that the students I teach are working full-time and are coming to school to grow and improve and I really enjoy helping others reach their maximum potential,” said Griffin.

In her time at 4Cs, Griffin helped resurrect the Sea Change, a student run and operated artistic magazine that contains poetry, paintings and other forms of art. This student run magazine hadn’t been consistently published from 2012 up until 2017, when Griffin had assumed responsibility of it.

“It sort of just fell in my lap when I got here,” Griffin explained.

Along with that she is also the faculty advisor for the Writers’ Club, another completely student run and operated organization on campus.

Being born and raised in a small town in central Massachusetts named Upton, Griffin finds that the Cape life suits her.

“I grew up in a small town, similar to the Cape,” said Griffin, “Only it was in Central [Massachusetts] and there was no tourist explosion in the summer.”

In her spare time, Griffin enjoys riding her bike through the woods and on trails and she writes her own poetry.

For students that have an interest in writing, Professor Griffin’s courses might be just what you are looking for!

Categories: Professors, People