Over the years, The AVID program has had many different teachers running the scene. Several personalities have shared the title but all shared the same goal: to help kids prepare for college and give them the resources to achieve that success. With that, I’d like to introduce CHS’s new cog in the AVID machine, Ms. McLaughlin, who is our 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade elective teacher!
Lakin Mclaughlin, known to her kids as Ms. L, is a new teacher at CHS. She is a proud double alum from Virginia Tech (go Hokies!). Before working as CHS, Ms. L worked at the University of Lynchburg. Outside of school she’s a big crafter, loves a cycling class, and enjoys watching television. One day she hopes to be one of those people who can say they “like to read” and actually mean it.
When I sat down with Ms. L, I was blown away by how passionate she was about the program and teaching overall. Her optimism was infectious and her energy was the color of baby pink, which just so happens to be her favorite color. It was my first interaction with her, but her thrill for teaching shined through. When describing what AVID means to her, Ms. L said it was “synonymous with opportunity.” — “I feel like it opens the door for a lot of students to be successful. To have a college career, go into the workforce, but have the skills necessary to be successful.” AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing first-generation college students for career and college readiness and success after high school, and in society.
I asked Ms. L what inspired her to be a part of AVID and she gave me a wonderful answer: “I’ve always been big into college readiness. I’m a first-generation student, and was from a very low-income family and so we had something in my high school called “Beacon of Hope.” Beacon of Hope is a Lynchburg-based program that is similar to AVID in its mission for pushing students to post-secondary education and providing them with the support needed to be better in their community.
“When I got the help with [FAFSA], I ended up with a full ride to college and everything. From a kid who couldn’t have gone to college to these people helped me to be able to go, it opened my eyes.” Ms. L’s journey to college inspired her to continue the cycle of helping, motivating her at first to go down a career in guidance counseling. Because of college guidance classes, she volunteered at local elementary schools. At those schools, she had a realization of ‘Okay, I don’t wanna be a guidance counselor’ along with another realization of “I wanna have my own classroom because I wanted to be able to do all the fun stuff. Halloween, Christmas…” Ms. L trails on, listing all the different seasonal celebrations. “So I knew I wanted to teach because I can still impact the lives of young people. But then I could, like, really get to know them more than a guidance counselor ever could, ’cause you’re seeing them every single day.” She mentions how she enjoys working with people of all ages, but is the most excited about helping kids reach their full potential.
The transition from elementary kids to the big kids was a learning curve for Ms. McLaughlin. She was both thrilled and anxious about how to maneuver this new playing field. The biggest difference was “learning about how teenagers navigate the world a little differently from my adult mind and learning to be a better teacher in that way to help them with their different needs.”
Whenever you’re free and want your spirits raised, drop by Ms. McLaughlin’s room and ask her about Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You can even ask to see her adorable dog, Hermione (yes, it is named after the Harry Potter character), also known as Hermie by her family. If you’re either a freshman, sophomore, or junior in AVID —or just joining the program at all— and you have her as your teacher, I can say with confidence you are in the hands of the most passionate, loving, and delighted to be here teacher in this building.
