What strikes you most about the students at Hillbrook?
Walking on campus for the first time last year through the miniature Village of Friendly Relations, I was taken back to my early days as an 8th grader when I was a visitor on the opposing sports team. The uniqueness of the campus nestled not only between an actual brook and the beautiful, tranquil hills of Los Gatos struck me as nothing but magical. Little did I know that I would discover a whole new lens through my new family, team, and students.
When you come to “The Hill,” everything changes. It is time to “Cub up!” once you step on to campus. Whether it is the 5th graders on the lower field emulating their favorite NFL player’s moves, various students building dams, watching fish swim in the brook, discovering new fungi by the oak trees spread amongst campus, or the kindergarteners laughing about their favorite jokes while they race around the track on their tricycles, Hillbrook’s campus always echos a collective pride and sense of belonging. For our students, it is a vibrant landscape for the future CEOs, innovators, engineers, artists, musicians, and athletes of tomorrow. With the continued expertise guidance from my fellow peers of dedicated faculty and staff, the lessons that are revealed to these students along the way will ultimately lead to their decisions, choices, and success as young professionals. The relationship and rapport that the faculty share with this close-knit group of students are both very special.
When you think about the students at Hillbrook, what’s the one thing that stands out to you?
Amongst the many individual personalities that make up the student body, one thing that stands out to me is the tenacity that exists with these young minds. The students are big-picture thinkers and self-reflective decision-makers. They stay true to what they believe in. Their opinions and tough questions that they ask embodies their intellectuality, curiosity, and stimulation as they continue to genuinely strive to grasp new concepts.
What is your favorite unit or project and why?
Every sport unit always reveals a unique aspect of an individual’s positive character traits, developmental morale, and achievement motivation. Through healthy engagement, I am always astonished by everyone’s effort, skills, camaraderie, and participation with team building that surfaces from certain individuals when they engage in friendly competition. Every unit surfaces new positive character traits that I observe about them as individuals as it tests their ability to self-reflect and learn more about themselves. This is one of my favorite aspects of teaching, as I am able to see them grow and come into their own through sports.
What made you choose to teach at Hillbrook?
Being in the medical field, I have been involved with systems-based-learning and teaching hospitals. I have always had a passion to teach and be part of an extraordinary team of like-minded individuals who strive to empower individuals through education and enriching the experience of our youth. I found this at Hillbrook. The amazing team and specialized departments at Hillbrook have been an absolute joy and I take immense pride in being able to call them my teammates. I have the utmost respect and gratitude for everyone who has embraced my ideas and welcomed me during my first year with my new Hillbrook family.
What are you most looking forward to at Hillbrook in the next few months?
I am looking forward to life returning back to normal after Shelter-in-Place and excited about the future of Hillbrook as we bring new innovative platforms and approaches to learning. I have learned a lot about myself, this country, but most of all how much I miss being at Hillbrook. I miss the social interaction, spirit events, the morning Flag meetings/recaps, the garlic bread served at lunchtime, and most importantly the symbiosis of teaching and learning between students and the faculty. Reflecting on my first visit to Hillbrook as an 8th grade Flag Footballer, I am glad that I have finally landed on the right team so that score can be set for the win!
What is the last place you visited/traveled to or book that you read?
This year I had the opportunity to travel to the colorful and lively San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. There I explored the local delicacies, rich history, the popular Art Walk in the town plaza, and tasted the specialty dishes that this beautiful colonial-style area had to offer both by land and sea. While learning about the rich history of Mexico and discovering the charm of the town walking through the cobblestone streets and seeing the European influence architecture, my favorite part of the trip consisted of watching the breath-taking sunset, listening to live music, and eating the delicious local dishes. I will definitely be back to visit and to try the mango ice cream!
We hope you enjoyed learning more about Coach Ryan!
