A dream job, interrupted: Local high school assistant principal leaving for stint in Iraq

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Ernie Griffin still gets a laugh when he thinks about becoming assistant principal at Harrison High School in 2016.

The reason? Some 15 years earlier, he had barely managed to graduate from there.

"Having that job, especially for me, it was the quintessential redemption," he said. "To be a part of my Southeast Side community again was a dream. That was remarkable. It was kind of a unique dynamic."

The kid who used to be sent to the office was now the person kids encountered when a school matter required discipline.

"He always said it was his dream job," said Jeff Dierham, former principal at Harrison, now principal at Reitz High School.

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Griffin handed over his school keys and said goodbye to his dream job in May. In late July he will set aside his civilian clothes and don his uniform as a captain in the 1st Battalion, 163rd Field Artillery of the Indiana Army National Guard.

The unit is expected to deploy to the Middle East for a year in August.

"That was a shock when he told us," Dierham said. "He has always been passionate about the military. For him, it's his other job. He said, 'This is what we train to do.'"

When Griffin returns he will be able to resume his work as an administrator with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp., but not at Harrison High School. Griffin and Dierham met and worked together at Harrison, becoming friends. They shared the same passion for helping students.

"What stood out to me was his energy. When I met him, I thought, 'this guy can't be for real. He won't be able to sustain that level of energy," Dierham said. "He is just a a super positive, energetic person."

Griffin made it his mission to help students both in school and outside of it.

"When students have needs beyond what school can provide, I am in a unique position to be helpful," he said. "I could help kids and families to gain access to resources. We had a huge focus on equity and doing whatever we could to level the playing field for everyone."

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These were kids Griffin could relate to. Inspired by his own teachers, Griffin said he always wanted to be an educator but it seemed like a goal out of reach.

"I was a marginal student, at best. I never thought I had access to that kind of career," he said. "I didn't have a whole lot of structure. I was definitely an at-risk student. I very much was that kid."

However, as a teacher and school administrator, Griffin realized there are many students in much more precarious circumstances.

"My mom worked retail. My dad drove a cab. I thought I lived in poverty but my lights were never off and I never missed a meal," he said.

Being in charge of discipline at Harrison gave Griffin a unique window into the daily lives and challenges students faced.

"He is passionate about kids. At his core that is what he is about," Dierham said.

Joining the National Guard just six weeks after the 9/11 attacks helped Griffin find his own path.

"He has been with that unit since he was 17. I know he can't imagine them going and him not being with them," said Natalie Griffin, his wife.

Griffin said he previously deployed with the unit in 2005 and 2007, both times to Iraq.

Between deployments he advanced ranks from specialist to sergeant to captain while working on a college degree.

After graduating from the University of Southern Indiana in 2011, Griffin taught social studies, government and economics at EVSC's New Tech Institute.

Then after earning a master's degree in educational leadership from USI, Griffin moved into the assistant principal role at Harrison. Even then, he didn't rest.

In May, Griffin received his doctorate degree from USI. He said he plans to return to the school corporation when he comes back from deployment.

"He is probably one of the most ambitious, motivated persons I know," Natalie Griffin said. "He does all those things in the most positive way. He never complains. That really is who he is all the time."

Mark Wilson covers education and environment at the Courier & Press. Contact him at mark.wilson@courierpress.com.   

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Harrison's Ernie Griffin will deploy to Iraq with 163rd Field Artillery