You may know Mr. Soykin as your World History teacher or your AP European History teacher. Otherwise, you might have seen him standing outside of his classroom, greeting students as they walk inside. Ryan Soykin has been teaching at Wilcox High School for twelve years after being hired in 2012. Throughout this time, he has dedicated himself to teaching history classes and helping his students grow as learners.
For his entire teaching career, Mr. Soykin has been teaching here at Wilcox. And yet, he was not always dreaming of becoming a teacher. In fact, his career goal for many years was to become a journalist; he attended University of California, Irvine (or UC Irvine) for a degree in Literary Journalism. During this time, he did multiple internships and got many firsthand experiences of what it would be like to work in journalism. It is because of these experiences that he realized journalism was not truly for him. Afterwards, he focused on subjects that he was always captivated by in highschool: history and politics. With the help of his girlfriend, who is now his wife, he decided to become a history teacher.
A part of his love for learning comes from interacting with students, especially those with enthusiasm for learning, who ask thought-provoking questions. He states that parts of teaching can become repetitive throughout the years, but students who ask new questions are able to keep him thinking and motivated. He is also fond of watching the growth of his students throughout the course of each school year, especially those who at first struggle on certain concepts or skills but learn to master them by the year’s end. Although he admits there are some negatives, such as the struggle of dealing with students using their phones in class, he is very grateful to have pursued a career in teaching.
Mr. Soykin has many interests, one being his passion for music. His favorite genres of music are almost all under the umbrella of rock music, such as hardcore and punk. He is always on the lookout for new releases, albums, and bands to listen to. Mr. Soykin also enjoys watching movies, his all-time favorite being No Country For Old Men. His favorite TV shows are Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Seinfeld. In addition, Mr. Soykin has a love for reading, and has been making an effort to read more in his free time. His interest in history extends to his taste in books, as his most recent read was People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn. He describes the novel as, “a heartbreaking and fascinating read that reevaluates our understanding of the lives of Jews both past and present”.
“I would describe Mr. Soykin as a caring and goal-oriented person,” said Sindhuja Nednoor, a sophomore currently taking AP European History with Mr. Soykin. “I really like his teaching style and am enjoying having him as a teacher this year.” Nednoor described the benefits of his teaching style, “I’m always engaged in his class. He consistently has a clear cut plan of what we intend to accomplish in class, which ensures that his students hardly get distracted.” Although AP European History is more challenging than normal history courses, Mr. Soykin is able to keep his students on track to succeed in both his class and the AP test in May. “By encouraging teamwork and group collaboration in class, he provides several opportunities for us to be introduced to different perspectives.” Nednoor explains how he is dedicated to getting things done and is always willing to help out a student who may be struggling.
Since he made the decision to become a history teacher, Mr. Soykin states that he has never once looked back. He deeply enjoys teaching the history subject, interacting with students, and helping these students achieve academic success. Although Mr. Soykin did not always dream of becoming a teacher, he is grateful to be here and Wilcox is very lucky to have him.
