In the 2006-2007 school year, teacher Lori Riddle joined the Science Department at Dallastown Area High School.

But she didn’t always want to be a teacher.

At first, Riddle was more interested in office-manager work, but eventually stepped into teaching after hearing stories about her sister’s interactions with the students she taught at Northeastern.

“I was like, ‘Oh, that might be a good thing for me!’, so I went back to school for teaching,” Riddle claims.

Science was her favorite subject in high school, and she likes the fun that comes with it, so it was the perfect fit for her.

In addition to teaching, Riddle runs the GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) Club. It is a student group that provides a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students and their allies to meet and discuss issues. Riddle has also been involved in a variety of diversity groups including the  District Diversity Committee and Diversity Club, which no longer exists.

In 2007, there was an article in The Beacon regarding a student looking to start the GSA club, but was unable to find an advisor.

“Being a new teacher, I didn’t want to quite put my head out there, yet. So, two years later, I had a student request it, and we started the club in 2009,” Riddle explains.

Riddle has been a part of Dallastown for almost 19 years, and has always pushed for kindness, as well as doing her best to make sure all students have a safe space.

This is a Humans of Dallastown feature. Our goal is simple: to make a large school smaller by highlighting the unique voices within it.