GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- When you walk through the doors of Gerald R. Ford Academic Center, Principal Denishea Neal Killingham wants every scholar and staff member to feel at home.
“I just feel a deep-rooted connection to, not just Grand Rapids, but the southeast side of Grand Rapids,” she said. “I was born and raised on this side - I went to school on this side.”
Her passion for education started early.
“I was a tutor in middle school, and I just enjoyed seeing kids get it,” she recalled. “And then I taught at a daycare, before I went to Michigan State.”
Her journey continued as a special education teacher, including time at Gerald R. Ford Academic Center.
“I was a teacher in this building first before I became the principal,” she said. “I thought that the set of skills that I have would benefit not just students, but staff.”
Her vision for scholars goes far beyond the classroom.
“I hope that they get that this is a safe place to be, that this is a great place to be, and that this is a step forward into their lives in adulthood,” she said. “It will help them become whomever and whatever they want to be.”
Her belief in the district runs deep.
“I choose GRPS because I’ve grown here - from a child into an adult,” she said. “I truly believe in what education can do. I believe in what GRPS can do. And I feel as if I have something to contribute.”
