Ryan Christiansen is a seventeen year old senior here at BASH. He lives in Gilbertsville, and hasn’t been in the district his whole life. Ryan used to live in the city of Philadelphia before moving to the state of California. He lived in California for some time before finally moving back to Pennsylvania. Ryan says “My dad found a job out in California, but we started struggling. Then a new job opportunity arose back in PA and my dad took it immediately. He thought of it as a fresh start for the family because my mom was pregnant with my sister at the time.”
Ryan moved back when he was in 5th grade and has been in the district ever since. Ryan does plan on going to college, so he takes many DE and AP classes. Ryan says, “I want to be a sports announcer” after high school. Because of this goal, Ryan joined Mrs. Schaarschmidt’s journalism class. Ryan tends to write and report more on sporting events and activities since they line up with his future career. He says “I had really bad asthma growing up so I’ve never been able to really play sports. I still wanted to be involved though, so I wanted to be a sports broadcaster. My parents also noticed me announcing and commenting on games when we watched them at home together. So they gave me the idea of becoming a sports announcer and now I really strive to be one.”
Ryan’s schedule is filled to the max with many DE (Dual Enrollment) and AP (Advanced Placement) classes. When asked about challenges he faces he said, “Because of all my AP and DE classes there are times where i have so much work to do, and I can’t get to it all in time. It really stresses me out.” When I asked him if anything changed his perspective and/or tested his determination, he said, “Nothing really altered my perspective. I’ve had the same vision and path since freshman year and that hasn’t changed to this day.” He intends to rack up as many college credits that he can so his college experience is that much smoother. Ryan is very focused on his school life and his future. Outside of school though, Ryan’s life is much more easy going. Ryan is enrolled in DE Composition, DE Microeconomics, and DE Spanish IV. As for AP classes, he’s enrolled in AP Calculus BC and AP Psychology. Ryan says, “DE Composition is helping me with my writing and preparing me for what I want to do in college. All the other classes are just for extra college credits.”
Ryan goes through every day trying to be in a positive mood. He says he “wants to get closer with God,” as well as keeping a good mindset and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As of now, Ryan is mainly focused on his future. He’s actively applying to many colleges, those of which include Penn State, Syracuse, Pitt, Drexel, and others. If there’s one lesson to take from Ryan’s life, it’s to focus on the future, and live a fun and healthy life.
If Ryan had one piece of advice to give to next year’s underclassmen, it would be to focus on school and enjoy the rest of their high school experience.
