LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Caity Grant was nominated by her cousin, Kathryn Kelman.

Ms. Grant has gone above and beyond for people. For the last three years of her teaching career, out of thirteen, she has been at an alternative school. While there, Ms. Grant has taught multiple different grade levels, as well as content. For example, she has been the English as a Second Language Teacher, Language Proficiency Assessment Committee Coordinator, SPED Teacher, and more. Ms. Grant has also been English Department Head, served on Testing and TEKS committees in Austin with TEA, been a top three finalist for secondary teacher of the year for her district, and was recently nominated for the Bob Ashworth Service Award, being recognized over thousands for what she does for students daily. Ms. Grant has been with the new comprehensive high school program since its start.

With Ms. Grant's help, she and her colleagues have helped almost 600 students to date receive a high school diploma, despite staffing and funding challenges. Without her and her co-workers, these students probably never would have been able to have this accomplishment.

At North Heights, Ms. Grant has been many students' stand-in parent, cheerleader, and mentor while providing shelter, food, and clothing, usually at her own expense. She has also donated and raised money through donations and hosting garage sales, many times with her own personal items, to fund things people view as simple, like caps and gowns, so kids will get to experience their senior year like any other senior.

"I have never seen her give up on a kid, even when they have given up on themselves due to setbacks, death, and many other life-altering situations," said Kelman. "My cousin advocates for students and their educational right to learn. In three years, she has impacted roughly 600 students' lives, not to mention the lives of her co-workers she enriches too. If that isn't a LifeChanger, I don't know what is."