MHS Graduation Live Stream

.”Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re making a difference. It’s those students who make a point to say, ‘You have impacted me through my high school career,’ that has kept me going, that have made me want to keep doing what I’m doing,” said Jonathan Ryan.

Mr. Ryan has worked at MHS for 10 years. He has been the backbone of our choir department, always making it a goal of his to make his students feel wanted and cared for.

However, teaching choir wasn’t his first career choice. Mr. Ryan graduated high school wanting to become a photographer. He soon realized that the business and editing sides were not for him–he wanted to work with people. He then got a job working with special needs kids and juvenile offenders.

“I enjoyed that, so I thought about special education, but I was really worried I would burn out from all the paperwork, all the IEPs. I didn’t think I could do it forever, but I just saw so many kids who had zero positive male role models. That’s when my heart came for working with students.” He said.

Although he had already finished all his music theory classes and been in the choir every semester, the thought of being a music teacher did not cross his mind.

“That’s when I thought, wow. I can do both and make it one job,” shared Mr. Ryan.

Once Mr. Ryan decided on his new path, he had to figure out the ropes. A perfectionist, Mr. Ryan can be a little too hard on himself. Initially, he found he tied too much of his self-worth to his job.

“You’re taking things that are so personal to you. Then you’re putting them out there for others to see, criticize, and judge. You are going to competitions with other schools who oftentimes have a lot more resources than you. You don’t know what goes behind the scenes there, so it can be very easy to compare yourself. I would say things like, ‘Wow, you’re no good as a director; look at them,’ but I had to tell myself, Yeah, there are better directors out there. I know that, but I’m here. I’m the one who applied for this job. I’m the one who got this job. I just have to trust myself,” said Mr. Ryan.

Graphic courtesy the MHS Auroran Today Staff.

Mr. Ryan is excited about his next step in life. His is incredibly important to him, as well as working with youth. Mr. Ryan is going to seminary. He wants to go into a youth ministry. He still gets to keep the best part of his job, the people.

“My faith is what has got me through many tough times in my life. I want to be better equipped to help people in those ways,” Mr. Ryan said.

However, Mr. Ryan will still be around for us to see and visit.

“I have applied for an internship at a church here in town that I will be doing online. I’ll still be around, I may even be popping back into sub, but I will be back to being a full-time student, getting a masters in arts and religion.”

Although Mr. Ryan will not be in the music department next year, he is still excited about our choir program’s future and the new hire.

“I think he is solid and he does have a heart for people. It makes me feel better knowing my students are being left in good hands,” he said.

He values the time spent with his students and hopes they think of him fondly.

“My students have impacted my life more than I have impacted theirs. I’m thankful for that. People will not always remember what you own and what you do, but they will remember how you made them feel. I want people to know that I was supportive of them. I cared about them. That I was invested in them. I want them all to feel valued, because they are. They are very loved.”