Kristin Weaver

Kristin Weaver helps at-risk youth succeed.

Teaching requires a person who is passionate about helping others succeed. Kristin Weaver, a teacher at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center, shares this passion with her students. She started out as a college profesoor, but she realized that she was drawn to working with non-traditional students. “I meet a lot of students who feel worthless [and] they don’t feel valued, but being able to turn that around? That’s the greatest most rewarding thing as a teacher ever” added Kristin.

Kristin has provided so many opportunities for her students to excel in an effort to help them overcome their past. She added “They can come in here with very low morale and low self-confidence. So I like to help them do something that they never even would have felt capable of doing.” She was the first to implement a college program at the facility and encourages them to get workplace certifications.

Kristin works hard to help kids see their dreams, and she encourages everyone to follow suit. “Set your dreams but make sure that they’re not just dreams; you’ve got to have the steps in place and the drive to make them a reality.”