Ryan Quinn

Ryan, Principal at Kennebunk Elementary School, reached out to The Center for support following devastating losses at his school; a student had died following an illness and soon after faculty member passed away unexpectedly. The CGC worked with the staff, students and parents to help them understand what to expect with the grieving process and how best to find and provide support. Ryan reflects that making this connection was the best thing he could have done – the staff and parents reacted with overwhelming gratitude.

Ryan went on to be an active volunteer at The Center, joining the Steering Committee to give back and to increase community awareness. He decided to go through the training at The Center because he felt it would help him support his school and he ended up falling in love with the work. “It has been incredibly rewarding for me and it has helped me to grow….anybody, regardless of what is currently going on in their life whether they are in a good place or not, can benefit from circle processing and having the opportunity to reflect on how they feel and think about their life.”

Through Ryan’s work on the Steering Committee he learned a lot about relationship development.  As a result he now thinks about these in his professional role as a school principal and has started to include other school systems in the trainings that Kennebunk Elementary is offering. “The experience has been transformational for me.”