Aside from teaching science at Maple Grove Senior High School, Ryan Hennessey enjoys piloting small aircraft. Photos: Chris Emeott
Ryan Hennessey aims to inspire inside and outside the classroom.
Obtaining a Ph.D. and real estate license. Piloting small aircraft. Building and renovating camper vans. These are just a few things that have piqued the curiosity of lifelong learner Ryan Hennessey, a Maple Grove Senior High School science teacher who is passionate about teaching as well as learning.
But Hennessey wasn’t always eager to learn. “In middle school, I failed more classes than I passed,” he says. “When I got into a classroom of my own, I fell in love with the profession … and helping [students] navigate their highest highs and lowest lows.”
Hennessey has a master’s degree in educational psychology and is currently working toward his doctorate in educational psychology, “… to learn a little bit more about how to make learning meaningful, fun and relevant to students’ lives,” he says.
For the second year, Hennessey received a nomination for the 2024 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award and made it to the semi-finalist round. “It’s really special,” he says. “… I think it is really nice in those times where you get recognized for taking the extra time to make learning fun and create a classroom where students feel valued.”
For Hennessey, his classroom is more than just teaching the ins and outs of high school science. It’s about building relationships, creating a spark and planting a seed for learning. Hennessey talks about one of his Ph.D. projects, where he aims at incorporating play into learning—all in the name of making his lessons a bit more fun and relatable.
“A way that I’ve framed my classes is teaching how social-emotional learning—like perspective and empathy, learning vulnerability, making changes, learning from failure—shows up in science, engineering and your everyday life. Blending the two has been really powerful for having meaningful conversations.” —Ryan Hennessey
The learning never ends for Hennessey. “It started as a confidence in myself that, ‘I can learn any skill,’” he says. “Once you have confidence in doing something, the world is your oyster.”
He’s always loved aviation, so he obtained his pilot’s license and is now a certified Young Eagle Pilot. Hennessey loves traveling, which inspired him to build a camper van to make his passion more accessible. When he and his wife purchased their home, he decided to obtain a real estate license. His next plans? Become a certified flight instructor with the goal of using his summers to teach students how to pilot, finish his Ph.D. program and start a company that focuses on retreats for men.
“It ties back to being a lifelong learner,” he says. “… For friends, family and anyone who will listen: Don’t stop trying to make the most beautiful life imaginable for yourself. Don’t accept complacency. Don’t stop learning, because you can always do more. You can always learn more. You can always do better.”
