Shortly after LCA’s founding, Susan Griffith began her career teaching in the 8th grade classroom. Fast forward 48 years and you will find her back in LCA’s 8th grade classroom; however, Susan lived a lot of life between those two classroom experiences. When Susan began teaching her very first 8th grade class, she knew right away she wanted to stay with them until they graduated five years later, and that is exactly what she did. During those five years, Susan and her husband found themselves forming tight bonds with their students that later turned into lifetime friendships.
After Susan watched her once small 8th graders walk across the stage at commencement, she and her husband pursued a different calling across the pond. They moved from Winona Lake, Indiana to Le Creusot, France to begin their missionary work through Encompass World Partners. During their 40 years in the Burgundy area of France, Dave and Susan completed their family of five. The relationships built at LCA were still blossoming, as several of Susan’s former students visited her in France and financially and prayerfully supported her mission.
Susan soon found herself returning to teaching, but this time teaching English to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Susan could see God’s hand throughout that calling, as teaching allowed her the opportunity to develop relationships with the students and then extend invitations to church events. Susan and Dave continued to minister and love the French as they shared their lives with them over the decades. Looking back at her years at LCA, Susan’s favorite thing was to watch the light come on in eyes of people as they learned about Jesus. Whether in Indiana or France, that excitement to lead people to Jesus never dwindled.
In 2020, Susan and Dave were called back to the states. Susan was drawn back to the school setting by serving as a substitute teacher, both at Lakeland Christian and Warsaw Community Schools. This year, she joined the LCA faculty full-time as a 7th, 8th and 9th-grade math teacher. She continues to pour into the lives of students and families as she has done her whole life. Her biggest piece of advice to her students today is to look beyond the present and to know that God is always looking at the bigger picture. Looking at Susan’s life in the big picture, her impact and love for others can surely be felt worldwide, from the lakes of Indiana to the rolling hills of France.
