Riley Griffin

I manage the college’s first “Patient Welcome Program.” So I recruit and train wayfinding volunteers to help patients and visitors reach their destinations. The program was developed to improve the experience of our patients, their families, and other visitors by providing wayfinding help and support. It’s also a part of the college’s effort to create a welcoming environment that patients and visitors will want to return to.

My first job focused on customer service. And I’ve served at my church – in the past and present – in various roles aimed at creating positive first impressions for people. So that has all been helpful. I also graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications, and that’s especially useful because communications are at the core of making people feel welcome and valued. It’s also important to communicate clearly – and kindly – while I’m helping patients and visitors to navigate their way through the college.

I’ve had many sweet interactions with our patients throughout my time here.
I’ve become well acquainted with our regular visitors and I enjoy catching up with them when they’re here. One man who came in last June is a retired dentist who told me stories about his time in Postle Hall as a student in the 70s. When I first met him, his wife was going through cancer treatment, and we bonded through our shared faith. I’m so glad I was able to connect with him during his wife’s health struggles. Since then, we’ve become good friends and I cherish our relationship. The friendships I’ve formed with my co-workers and our volunteers have also been amazing. Most volunteers are students on the pre-dental track, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each of them as they work through their college experiences. They’ve all been instrumental in helping our patients and other visitors, and I feel blessed to manage this program!

I grew up in Reynoldsburg, Ohio – just outside Columbus, and I had a great childhood with my parents and older sister. One special memory is going to our local Blockbuster video store. It was located on Main Street in downtown Reynoldsburg, and we’d go there to pick up a movie to watch as a family. Those were always fun nights! Another special memory was going with my parents and sister to my grandma’s house in Groveport every Sunday for dinner. It was a wonderful weekly tradition, and we all loved spending time with her. Next year will mark 20 years since she passed, and my family and I have so many fond memories that we think about all the time.

My happy place would be my church, Grace Fellowship. I came to faith as a teenager and I love engaging in the worship service and sermon – and seeing my friends every week. It’s an important part of my life and the perfect “reset” when things seem crazy. As a second runner-up for a happy place, that might be Roosters, where the food is so good that I might love it just a bit too much! 

It would be Peter Parker – aka, Spider-Man! I think it would be fun swingin’ around New York City, climbing the Empire State Building, and shootin’ webs. It would also be great to enjoy everything the city has to offer – including New York style pizza!

The first is my favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 26:3. It says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” This reminds me to keep my relationship with Christ at the center when life gets crazy. The second is a quote I read in English class when I was a junior in high school. It’s written by Alice Morse Earle, and it says, “Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.” That quote reminds me to notice the good things in my everyday life, whether they’re big blessings or something as small as a great cup of coffee!