With a career ranging from trauma-informed teaching to international education and award-winning paleoart, Nikita Griffioen has followed an unconventional path. 

After completing her Bachelor of Arts in less than three years, Nikita went on to earn a Bachelor of Education from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in 2017. Since graduating, Nikita has dedicated herself to empowering students, advocating for social justice, and using art as a vehicle for change. 

Initially planning to pursue law, she discovered a passion for teaching through research projects and mentorship roles while at UFV. “When I applied to the Bachelor of Education program, I knew I loved being in classrooms and working with students, but I didn’t know then it would be the best decision I ever made.” 

During her practicum at Abbotsford Senior Secondary in 2016, a tragic and violent school incident occurred, resulting in the passing away of a student. Given the choice to step away, she instead chose to stay, recognizing the importance of supporting students through trauma. “That experience pushed me into my authenticity as a teacher, forcing me to throw out everything I had learned in theory and fully embrace trauma-informed education.”  

Nikita also developed a course called Art Activism, blending creative expression with social justice to tackle topics like homelessness, Black Lives Matter, and Indigenous issues. One of its most impactful initiatives was a collaboration with UBC’s Art Justice program, where students co-create artwork with Indigenous inmates. “We sent canvases and supplies into prisons, and the inmates start a painting,” she explains. “Then, our students completed the other half. These pieces were displayed at The Reach Gallery, giving both the inmates and students a voice.” Seeing their work in a professional gallery empowers students. “It tells them their voices matter,” she says. 

After years of building the Art Activism course, Nikita passed the program to a trusted colleague and moved to the Netherlands to gain international teaching experience. “I wanted to understand different education systems, particularly for immigrant students, and one day bring that knowledge back to Canada,” she says. “It’s shaping me into a more well-rounded educator.” 

While education remains her focus, Nikita is also an accomplished artist. She has painted large-scale murals in Abbotsford, including a 1,200-square-foot piece for European Day Spa — one of the city’s largest. “I use my art to show students that great things take time,” she says. 

Nikita has also been passionate about paleontology since childhood, her paleoart, depicting prehistoric life, has been displayed in museums in Spain and Italy. “Paleontology is male-dominated, and I want young girls to see they belong in this field too.” 

Nikita recently completed a Master of Education at the University of New Brunswick, specializing in Indigenous and refugee education. She aims to expand Art Activism into more schools and continue developing curriculum that integrates social justice into the arts. Her advice to UFV students? “Build relationships with your professors, don’t be afraid to fail, and go after your dreams relentlessly. The worst that can happen is you learn something new!” 

Through education, art, and advocacy, Nikita Griffioen continues to make a lasting impact — one student, mural, and museum at a time.