With Veterans Day approaching, The Scituation would like to highlight a military veteran who merits respect and recognition: SHS paraprofessional Gridska Flynn, the academic coordinator for the Lighthouse Program. Not only does she deserve thanks for her time in the U.S. Navy, but she is also an unsung hero at Scituate High School.
Flynn grew up in a military family. She explained, “My dad was in the Navy,” which required her family to relocate often. Born in Tennessee, Flynn attended twelve different schools and lived in seven different states. She also lived overseas on a naval base in Rota, Spain, during her freshman and sophomore years in high school. Though it was challenging moving around a lot, Flynn said she and her six siblings developed an appreciation for “interesting and amazing places.”
While adjusting to new schools, athletics played a vital role for Flynn. At her first high school, she played volleyball. In Milton, Florida, where she spent her junior and senior years of high school, volleyball was not offered for women. Instead, Flynn participated in cross country. Flynn stated her participation in sports helped her have a “good fitness level, and just a good base” for her military training–especially during her “plebe” summer training.
By her junior year in high school, Flynn felt “drawn to the military.” Following in her father’s footsteps, she wanted to become a naval officer. She applied to the Naval Academy but did not receive an appointment right out of high school. She entered the Naval ROTC program at the University of Florida and reapplied for the Academy, even though she knew it would be a four-year commitment. Learning of her appointment in early 1994, Flynn entered the Academy that summer and graduated in 1998. Her major was oceanography, and she continued running cross country and track as a Division 1 athlete.
Being accepted at the Naval Academy was an important step in Flynn’s life. She said the initial summer program was “very rigorous and physically demanding,” noting that Academy students learn to maintain high academic and physical standards. She continued participating in cross country and track, which helped her keep up with the rigor. In the spring of her senior year, Flynn sought a more lighthearted activity and joined frisbee football, a co-ed sport at the school.
Less than 20% of Flynn’s 1998 graduating class from the Naval Academy was comprised of women: “It felt more like 5%. It was very small,” Flynn commented. She had expected this going in, and having an athletic background helped her navigate her Academy experience and carry herself with more confidence. During her junior year, she met her future husband, Grant Flynn, a fellow 1998 graduate who grew up in Hingham, MA. They married in 1999, and Flynn’s husband went on to spend five years of active duty on submarines and 20 years as a reservist. Currently, he is retired from the military and works as a nuclear engineer.
Commissioned into the Navy in May of 1998, Flynn’s service extended until June 2003. Notably, her favorite assignment was in the spring of 2000, when she was deployed for six months to the Persian Gulf on an aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. “Facing deployment was pretty terrifying,” Flynn said; however, being on a carrier with thousands of other Americans made her feel less apprehensive. Flynn faced the daunting task of keeping forward-deployed American forces safe. She was part of the cryptologic community, which listened, intercepted communications, and alerted forces of any threats.
During her last year in the military, Flynn had her first child, Ryan, a 2021 SHS graduate. When he was six months old, she decided to become a stay-at-home mom after her five years of military service. She also has two daughters, Gridska, a 2023 graduate of SHS, and Evelyn, a SHS senior. While raising her children, Flynn had the space and time to discover her passion for education. In particular, she enjoyed the moments when they understood something she was explaining. “I realized standing watch in the Navy prepared me to be extra vigilant as a mom.”
Flynn said she appreciates the challenges and the dynamics of working with high school students, stating, “It’s very exciting to impart knowledge to someone and then see that they’re getting it.” Flynn is currently working toward earning her teaching license and appreciates the current flexibility of her job at SHS.
SHS adjustment counselor Elizabeth Clancy, who works with Flynn in the Lighthouse Program, stated that when Flynn joined the team, she came in with “open arms” and “asked very informative questions” to familiarize herself with the specific needs of students. Clancy added, “I thank her for her service,” recognizing that Flynn helps students in a way that goes “unrecognized.” Clancy sees Flynn as a “compassionate, intelligent, and hard-working” professional.
For students considering going into the military, Clancy suggests reaching out to Flynn: “She has that lived experience, and she’s someone who’s really approachable,” Clancy said Flynn has a lot of insight, especially for the Navy, but can give students guidelines on where to start, and what military life is like.
SHS junior Cecilia Peralta, one of Flynn’s students, said she feels Flynn “instills quiet confidence” in her students. She said Flynn’s support is uplifting, creating an environment where students feel empowered.
Flynn’s service to her country and the SHS community is commendable and exemplifies why we celebrate Veterans Day.