Showcasing his love for teaching, Mr. Ryan Zamzow steps in as a new chemistry teacher, teaching AP, general and honors chemistry.

After the science department lost two teachers last school year, Zamzow was drawn to the opportunity to teach at the AP level. Having transferred after four years at Kimball High School, he was pleasantly surprised by the welcoming campus culture.

“My first impression of Whitney culture was that [Welcome Back] rally,” Zamzow said. “I had been in the science department, kind of isolated, but to really see the whole student body come together, and how the school really brought everybody together, and how admin and staff and teachers and students all jive so well, it was just like, ‘Yeah, I’m in the right spot.’”

With support from the community, Zamzow was able to make a smooth transition into his new environment, primarily leaning on fellow science teachers and the science department as a whole. 

“It’s just such a good team of people, and so I wouldn’t say it’s any single one of them,” Zamzow said. “It is the welcoming environment that they provide and the helpful kind of teamwork that they provide.” 

After settling in, Zamzow shifted his focus onto his students and gave them a more hands-on approach to chemistry. Fueled by his own passion for the subject, he has made an effort to create more labs and experiments, allowing his students greater opportunities to work directly with chemicals and stay fully engaged in the subject. 

“He’s just excited about chemistry, and I think he really shares that with his students,” chemistry teacher Mrs. Amanda Vrudny said. 

Students recognize his passion not only through his work, but also through his enthusiasm in class.

“I have him second period, and I was already half asleep, so I was like, ‘Wow, this man, he’s just full of energy,’” Sri Annepu said. “And then, as class went on, he seemed very positive and very passionate about what he does, and I really enjoyed that.”

Alongside his passion for chemistry, Zamzow has been able to pursue another interest on campus: water polo. Zamzow joined the water polo team as both the women’s JV and varsity assistant coach, bringing with him 28 years of experience coaching swimming and four years of coaching water polo. As a former high school competitive swimmer himself, Zamzow holds a 32 year old San-Joaquin Section record in the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 4:35.46. Although swimming and water polo can be very different sports, he enjoys all the different components incorporated in water polo that swimming alone doesn’t capture. 

Zamzow said, “I really like it because of all the aspects that it brings together, like field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, swimming, wrestling. It’s got so many things that it just kind of puts together, kind of like chemistry.”

by ISABELLA CHUNG, LARA DE VALK, PAIGE FRIESEN, IZZIE GIMROTH & EMMA PHOMMARATH