Ryan Raynes

Major: Elementary education
Hometown: Henniker, N.H.

When Ryan Raynes was looking for a graduate program in education, he found his place at Eastern. 

“It was very affordable and offered flexibility in the graduate program. I wanted to have small classes and make a personal connection with my professors. They made themselves available and always took the time outside of class to work with me.”

The New Hampshire native earned a master’s in elementary education with a focus on literacy skills in 2006. Now he’s giving the same kind of individualized attention to his students as a teacher at Excel Academy, a charter school in the Denver suburb of Arvada, Colorado.

Ryan made a point of choosing graduate classes he was interested in, and literacy courses were his favorite. He worked as a graduate assistant in the education office.

Outside of class, he took time for football and basketball games and hanging out on campus with friends.

“I really enjoyed my time at ENMU as a graduate student and would recommend the education program to anyone who wants to become even more successful as a classroom teacher.”