Grassroots opportunities and amazing experiences have defined Krystal Tyndall’s life.

Tyndall always had a passion for dance, starting when she was three. She said she knew she wanted to be a professional dancer, which led to her pursuing a dance education at Meredith College, where she graduated in 2001. 

“When I found the dance education program at Meredith, it was a no-brainer. It was all that I dreamed of, just to grow as an artist, and to be able to express myself and all of those facets to be seen on the stage was pretty amazing,” said Tyndall.

After graduating from Meredith, she began the first full-time dance program at Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C. The program recently celebrated its 20th year.

After her time at Broughton, Tyndall transitioned back to her home in Emerald Isle, N.C., where she held a position as a P.E. teacher at a middle school. From there, she was hired as an at-risk coach and helped academically struggling students alongside her school’s counselor. This position sparked her interest in administrative work, which led her to pursue a master’s in counseling education. After receiving her master’s, she landed a job as an assistant principal.

Tyndall transferred to Mount Airy, N.C., schools three years ago with a unique opportunity to work as a career development facilitator, a grant-funded position.

“I was able to start a program called SAFER Surry in an effort to mitigate the opioid crisis in Surry County. I recruited students to go into the police force, fire safety, and public safety in connection with Surry Community College,” she said.

After a year in this position, she transitioned back to being an assistant principal, a change she said came naturally. Then, in June 2019, she pursued her lifelong dream of earning her doctorate.

“That’s something I’ve always wanted to have. I knew as a young woman that that was something I aspired to be, and I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take me to get there, but I was destined to do it.”

Tyndall’s dissertation examined the impact of student connectedness with sixth-grade males after observing that many discipline referrals focused on male students.

“It was amazing to see how important connection and belonging were for students to be successful, especially in middle grades, because it’s such a key area of transition for formative years,” she said. “Building those communities and ensuring that every student has an adult advocate on campus puts students at lower risk for making at-risk decisions.” 

She defended her dissertation successfully and achieved her goal of becoming a doctor of Education. Tyndall said she struggled with imposter syndrome but feels proud of all her accomplishments.

“Being able to tackle all of those obstacles that many people faced during their journey of getting their doctorate, that final day of defending my dissertation was pretty amazing,” she said. “I was just waiting until they came back, and when they did, they said ‘Congratulations, Dr. Tyndall,’ and I just cried.”

On top of Tyndall’s many ventures and accomplishments in education, she also is a co-founder of the nonprofit, Fishin’ for a Cure. The grassroots organization has left a tremendous impact on women and men who have been impacted by breast cancer.

“The group started with a woman, diagnosed with breast cancer, whose friends wanted to take her fishing to get her mind off of things. It’s grown tremendously since then, and our vision is ‘every catch counts.’”

Since the volunteer-run organization’s founding ten years ago, members have hosted annual fishing tournaments, golf tournaments, corn hole tournaments, and silent auctions, and in recent years, have partnered with Hidden Vineyard in Dobson, N.C., to host a 5K race called Vineyard Stomp. Recently, Fishin’ for a Cure reached an incredible milestone by raising $1 million.

“We are currently expanding across North Carolina. We are a board that’s been all volunteers for ten years. It’s been amazing to see what can happen when you bring people together to do the good work.”

Tyndall believes in doing what’s good and beneficial for all concerned. She has carried this ideology throughout her life and incorporated it into all her decisions. Tyndall said she sometimes questions whether she deserves all her accomplishments but overcomes it by reflecting on all the good work she has done.

“I think it’s important for women to get beyond imposter syndrome and to know that they can do anything, regardless of the obstacles, because we all have them. It’s important to stick to your dream.”