LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Ryan Andrews was nominated by a student.

"After being a virtual student freshman year, sophomore year was my first year being in high school in person. Everything felt odd as it was a new experience for me. My second class of the day was English 10 with Mr. Andrews at Arrowhead High School," said the student.

"Being in person was a big change for me, and I hoped I would like my teachers. Being at school early in the morning, I didn't think I could enjoy anything. In the past, I had only enjoyed a few of my classes. I had found the classes boring and annoying as it was very early in the day," said the student.

"When the class started, I found my desk and sat waiting for him to introduce himself to the class. Right away, I could tell that something was different about him compared to my other teachers. He would tell jokes and didn't seem to be serious. This made me excited for the rest of the semester," said the student.

"Mr. Andrews is a good example of a teacher who can make the learning experience enjoyable but effective. For example, he can teach our class but also entertain us at the same time. From having him as a teacher in English 10 and College Strategies as a senior, he was always positive and wouldn't complain. This shows the importance of positivity and optimism, especially in a learning environment," said the student.

"As a result, having a teacher who has a positive attitude and is optimistic about their students creates a shift in the mood of the class. In my other classes, I would always see students close to falling asleep or not paying attention. In my classes with Mr. Andrews, the class would be engaged as it felt that there was a purpose to listen. He would walk around the class and talk to students and show he cared more than just about our performance in the class," said the student.

"I remember that we would do fun activities as a class. For example, we would pass a ball around our class, do group discussions, and race his other class periods. Adding fun aspects to the classes gave us students something to look forward to and a way for us to connect more...In my classes with him, I enjoyed my time and wouldn't look at the clock or dread being there," said the student.