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Kristin Moore is the assistant principal at LeBlanc Elementary.

Oregon native explains how she arrived in Vermilion Parish

Moore is assistant principal at LeBlanc Elementary

Kristin Abah Moore has a unique story of how she ended up at LeBlanc Elementary as the assistant principal for the last five years. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She explains how she found her way to Abbeville.
She is a 2004 graduate of Grambling State University in Elementary Education; 2010 Master’s Degree from ULL in Educational Leadership More recently in 2017, she completed coursework in the National Institute for School Leaders (NISL)

What is your family history?

My mother is Gilda Abah Mouton, and my father was the late Anthony Osita Abah. I am proud of my unique heritage because my father was from Abuja, Nigeria, my mother is from Kaplan, and I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon! 
A brief history of your accomplishments leading up to your Assistant Principal position.

 Eaton Park Elementary 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year

You are from Portland, Oregon. What high school did you graduate? How large was it?
I graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 2000. When I there we had the population of a 3A school but competed in sports on the 4A level.

What sports did you play in high school? What was your best sport?
During my high school years, I played basketball. Because of my height, the coaches wanted me to
compete in track and field, but I’m not an outdoor person, so that was out.

What was it about Grambling that made you want to leave Portland?
The legendary coach Eddie Robinson and the World Famed Grambling marching band.

When did you make that decision to leave home to come to Louisiana?
During my senior year of high school, I suffered a torn ACL, and many of the basketball scholarships that I had been offered were pulled. My dream of playing college basketball was over, and I was devastated so I stepped out on faith and decided to apply for admission into Grambling State University. When I arrived on the campus, I didn’t know not one person.

You remember when you told your parents?
When I told my parents I wanted to attend college in Louisiana, they were both excited and supported me 100%.

When you arrived at Grambling, how hard was it dealing with Louisiana heat?
The heat wasn’t hard to deal with because I just stayed inside as much as possible, it was the thunderstorms. Growing up in Oregon, I had never experienced thunder and lightning that would shake the ground. I remember calling home and crying to my mother because I was terrified.

Whom are you married too and how did ya’ll meet?

I am 36 years old. I am married to Larry Moore Jr. We met at a wedding. His first cousin married my first cousin. It wasn’t loved at first sight, but love at second sight!  We were briefly introduced earlier during the day of the wedding rehearsal at my cousin’s house when Larry stopped by to pick up his tuxedo. However, it wasn’t until the actual wedding rehearsal when we were paired up to walk together did the sparks fly! Following the rehearsal, the entire wedding party went to the reception hall for dinner, and it was there that he asked me to fix him a bowl of gumbo. He likes to brag and say that he knew I was his future wife when I didn’t tell him no. 
We live in Abbeville with our two children; Braylon 11, and Koryn 6. I also have a step-son named Kobe who is 20. 

What made you move to Abbeville?
My husband is the reason why I moved to Abbeville. I was living and working in Monroe when we first met. He is from Abbeville, and my mother’s side of my family is from Kaplan, so it made the most sense for me to relocate here to be surrounded by both of our families.

What do you value most in your life as well as in your job?
Faith and family are the two things that I value most in my life. My past experiences with the deaths of my two older brothers and the death of my father have made me understand how important it is to keep my faith in God and to cherish my family members every day. 
Professionally, I value the relationships that I have developed throughout my career. I have had the opportunity to work in two different districts in the state and have forged lifetime relationships with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. 

What are you most proud of regarding all that you have accomplished?

I am most proud of becoming the assistant principal at LeBlanc Elementary School. Following the deaths of my father in December of 2013 and my brother in February 2014, I experienced a tough time in my life where I questioned many things. During that time, I had to keep pushing through, so I began to focus more on my career goal of becoming a school administrator. I never thought that I would be selected to work at LeBlanc, in fact, I didn’t know much about the school. However, being named the assistant principal at the most diverse elementary school in the parish was such an honor, and it still is. Our student population represents a microcosm of our society. Our entire faculty/staff and administrative team take pride in teaching our students to respect each other’s differences learn to value those differences daily. 

What position did you hold before becoming an assistant principal, if applicable?
 I began teaching fourth-grade math in August 2004 at Carver Elementary School in Monroe, LA. My career in Vermilion Parish started in 2007 at Herod Elementary School, where I taught fourth-grade science and social studies for one year before going to Eaton Park where I taught one year of fifth grade ELA and six years of fourth-grade math. During my time at Eaton Park, I also served as administrator for the district’s elementary and middle school LEAP Remediation Summer School Program. 

Was this profession something you have always wanted to be in?
Yes. I never dreamed of becoming anything other than an educator. I was first inspired to become a teacher in the third grade when I learned about Sharon Christa McAuliffe, one of the seven astronauts who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. She was scheduled to become the first teacher in space, her bravery and determination to become “the first” is something that I always admired. 

What would be your general message to any woman who wants to pursue their dream?
My message to any woman thinking about a dream they want to pursue or who may be currently working toward the pursuit of a goal is to keep pushing and never give up. Many times we as women are hardest on each other so I would encourage women to uplift each other and support other women who are also working towards achieving their dreams. My brightest moments came when I was able to successfully share ideas and encourage women who welcomed my mentorship and leadership. I would tell other women to remain positive and always take the high road. It is not always easy to accomplish goals, but it’s worth it to push through adversity and challenges to recognize your full potential.

In your spare time, what activities do you and your family like to do?
My family and I are huge sports fans. We enjoy playing and watching every sport from football to golf. I am not as active as I was before becoming a mother but I love playing basketball and golf.

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542