Photo credited to Ryan Lindberg

What’s your name, and what department do you work in? I am Mr. Ryan Lindberg. I work in the Science department, specifically teaching Chemistry.  

What are some of your hobbies? Well, aside from working, I do play video games–when I have the free time! As an aside, I also spend a lot of my time coaching, especially during wrestling season. I find that to be more of a hobby than an actual job itself. It’s something I genuinely enjoy doing in the time that I have available to do it. Other general hobbies: I’ve been taking up more of a craftsmanship role over the past few years. I find myself doing a lot of woodworking around the house–that’s something that, growing up, I found my father doing quite a bit, and something that I never thought I would do.

How long have you been teaching at Niles North? I have been teaching Chemistry for 13 years here. 

What do you enjoy most about teaching chemistry? For me, it’s the rich content, and the application of that content in reality. There’s so many different applications in the use of chemistry in the real world. From future fuel sources, to finding other energy demands that we’re going to need in our future society–specifically with battery technologies kind of paving the way of our future–none of that technology is possible without innovations in the field of chemistry, and science and engineering. So, it’s intriguing for me as an educator, first teaching a lot of the rich new chemistry content for students–knowing that some of the stuff that I teach, for those that decide to go into some fields of engineering and science, they might actually need to use that to find innovative ways to change the future.

Are there parts of wrestling or chemistry that students who aren’t in your classes can use in their own life? Wrestling really teaches grit, and how to persevere. Wrestling is unique in that it’s a team sport, but it’s also very much an individual sport. There’s fourteen different weight classes that you could wrestle at, and you have to certify to wrestle at a specific weight class, and if you don’t certify at that weight class, you don’t wrestle at that weight class. But once you certify at that weight class, it’s you and your opponent in front of you, and one person’s going to win. The question is, who’s it gonna be? So,

depending on your skill and technique and your desire to win and the heart you have, going out there, to win, really dictates the outcome of your match. So that’s gonna carry on with you the rest of your life. 

Chemistry teaches a lot of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills are essential in your future. Regardless of what profession or field you want to go into, chemistry offers different points of view and frames of mind, and how to problem-solve, specifically. And building that skill is essential to your success in the trades, and some college majors you decide to go into. That’s kind of where I would see chemistry fitting.

If you could live absolutely anywhere on Earth, where would you choose to live? My house. No, I guess from the point of view of taking in nature and the beauty of nature, I would say northern Wisconsin. 

Who are some of the people you work with? Mr. Andy Klamm, Johnny Kretzos, Bonnie Weiberg, Kristie Kammel, Gordon Booker, Josh Kim. Tom Chung as well. We’re really supportive of each other. Really, this year, we’re nurturing a curriculum for students that’s meant to reinforce learning, but also to enhance their understanding of chemistry. Without them, we would not be able to do what we’re doing. 

What skills (doesn’t have to be scientific or athletic) do you want to master? Guitar-playing. I’ve taken up guitar-playing in my early years in college–self-taught. The fascinating thing that I’ve found with YouTube and all the resources online is just how much is out there to help me progress in that skillset, and it’s something that I wanted to do at an early age, but my parents never really pushed for me to actually do, and it’s been a thing over the years that I’ve been trying to take on and learn. 

What’s your favorite quote? It doesn’t have to be chemistry/wrestling-related. Well, I’ll quote the great Dan Gable, of wrestling: “Once you’ve wrestled, everything in life is easy.”