“I’m always surprised when I get nominated for an award or receive any sort of recognition for what I do,” Ryder wrote in an email. “I suppose in part because I’m surrounded by exceptional educators and brilliant students every day at Mt. Blue and I’m just trying to live up to the standards they set. The folks I’ve met through the (Maine Education Association) have been so supportive of the work I do over the years — I just hope I represent them well on the national stage.”  

 

Ryder has been teaching at Mt. Blue High School for 20 years. He graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington in May 1998 and three weeks later, he was offered the opportunity to join the English Department at the high school in Farmington.

 

He has also taught as an adjunct instructor at UMF in the Middle and Secondary Education Department. 

 

“I became a teacher because I wanted to have the same impact on kids that my best teachers had on me when I was struggling through my adolescence — they made me feel valued, capable, interesting, important and supported,” Ryder wrote.

 

Each year, the Salute to Excellence in Education Gala draws almost 1,000 supporters of public education, and thousands more online, to applaud these recipients. At the gala, the educators are truly the stars, celebrated throughout the night with music, performances, videos and more.