Kyra Lyons Proves to Be Right Person For Boys Town New England’s LIFT Program
“It’s not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You have to be the right person in the right place at the right time.” – T. Harv Eker
Many people have heard the adage about being in the right place at the right time. Boys Town New England School Support Specialist Kyra Lyons was the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
One morning, Kyra was walking down the hall of a local high school when she spotted a very upset young woman.
“I was walking down the hall and I spotted Brielle crying, sitting on the floor next to her locker,” Kyra said. “I stopped to check if she was okay. She didn’t want to talk, but knowing how visibly upset she was, I couldn’t leave her, so I just sat and waited with her.”
After some time, Brielle regained her composure and opened up to Kyra, who grew concerned when she read her journal.
“Brielle’s entries contained some alarming passages, including a suicidal journal prompt,” Kyra said. “After we talked a little more, she was agreeable to going to the social worker with me.”
Following their hallway encounter, Brielle was added to Kyra’s caseload, where the two met regularly for about six weeks in both one-on-one and group sessions. Brielle worked hard toward her goals of improving her grades, enhancing her socialization skills, and making new friends.
“Brielle made great strides as she was dedicated to the process of achieving her goals,” Kyra said. “She successfully completed the LIFT program in about nine weeks, which is the typical program length. It’s a great feeling now to see her smiling in the hallways with her friends.”
Although Brielle has successfully completed the LIFT program, Kyra remains a positive presence. Recently, Brielle was feeling guilty for skipping a particular class a couple of times. She found Kyra, shared the situation, and the two discussed a strategy,
“Brielle was upset and disappointed in her behavior,” Kyra said. “We discussed the situation and, on her own, Brielle shared that she wanted to apologize to her teacher for her behavior. Together, we went to the teacher, and she apologized. I was there for moral support while Brielle took ownership of and rectified her actions.”
While meeting Brielle in the hallway was by chance, Kyra was the right person, in the right place, at the right time thanks to Boys Town New England’s partnership with the Pawtucket School District and the LIFT Together with Boys Town Program. This community-based, multi-tiered, multi-component, prevention intervention system’s goal is to intervene before problems reach an unsafe level.
A 2023 Framingham State University grad, Kyra works with students one-on-one and in social skills groups during the advisory periods and sometimes before and after school to help students hone skills for both in and out of school. Brielle is one of approximately 25 students Kyra has worked with since joining Boys Town in December of 2023.
“In my role, I provide kids who are often struggling, with an outlet to talk to about the difficulties they encounter and allow them to process their emotions throughout the day, “ Kyra said. “It’s a tough job at times because there’s not instant gratification. But, seeing kids like Brielle become successful, it’s very rewarding.”
Brielle’s grades have all improved and she is doing well emotionally and socially.