Kristina Pollard is the third director of Marshall’s H.E.L.P. (Higher Education for Learning Problems) Center.
Kristina Pollard recently was named just the third director of Marshall University’s H.E.L.P. (Higher Education for Learning Problems) Center, Dr. Robert Bookwalter, dean of the College of Education, has announced.
Pollard came to Marshall from the DeSoto County School District in Hernando, Miss., where she was the assistant principal at Horn Lake High School.
“The H.E.L.P. program is one of the top programs in the nation for providing services to help students with learning challenges succeed in college,” Bookwalter said. “The program has grown since Dr. Barbara Guyer founded it over 30 years ago and has thrived under the leadership of Lynne Weston. We are fortunate to have hired Kristina Pollard as Lynne’s successor.”
Pollard, who was born and raised in San Diego, assumed her new position Aug. 1. Weston retired from Marshall that same day.
“Kristina has had a successful career as a teacher and administrator and has experience working in special education programs,” Bookwalter said. “She is enthusiastic, innovative and committed to providing the best services to our students. We look forward to the continued growth of the H.E.L.P. program under Kristina’s leadership.”
One of her primary responsibilities at Horn Lake was supervising the special education department, a position that provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge before she came to Huntington.
“I came to Huntington with the expectation of continuing my quest to serve young people,” she said. “It is a blessing to be able to do so through the H.E.L.P. Center and its purpose for serving individuals with Specific Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. When I saw the position online I knew I could effectively lead this team with my educational experiences and skills.”
Her husband, Lytrel, coaches cornerbacks for the Thundering Herd football team. He was hired in February, and Kristina joined him in Huntington after the school year ended in Mississippi.
Pollard said she loves her job and the whole purpose behind the H.E.L.P. program. Currently, 200 students are in the program, along with 75 tutors and 10 full-time staff members.
“Helping young people reach their goals makes me feel very good,” she said. “The whole idea, the dream Dr. Guyer had, is absolutely amazing. The respect for the program, the impact it has … it’s absolutely astonishing that there are not more programs like this.”
Pollard said her vision for H.E.L.P. is to maintain its standards of excellence while moving it to the “next level.”
Pollard received her B.S. from Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., and her M.Ed. from William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Miss., and she is currently completing her Ed.S. from Walden University. She has been in education since 1998, beginning her teaching career in the Dallas Public Schools.
She and Lytrel have two sons, Tylor and Klabron.
