MORGANTOWN – University High School senior Ryder Hastings has found his passion for special education throughout his time on Baker’s Ridge.
As a sophomore, Hastings began working with students at UHS after approaching his school counselor, Mrs. (Ryanne) White, about the possibility of joining a peer leadership program at the school.
“I approached Mrs. White about joining a program, and she had mentioned something another student who had already graduated had done in the past,” Hastings said. “I just wanted to get my feet wet working with some of the students.”
Special education isn’t something you would initially think Ryder would pursue after high school, as a multisport athlete at UHS on both the football and wrestling teams, and a future wrestler at Glenville State University.
But in fact, special education is something he has been interested in since he was younger.
“My dad was also a wrestler, and he worked with special needs students when he was in high school,” Ryder said. “Seeing the connections he’s had throughout his life and the ways he’s been able to impact others has always stood out to me. Some of his old students still work with the wrestling program in Huntington, so over the years of being around them and seeing how my dad has truly affected their lives, I’ve grown an interest in doing the same.”
Hastings says a young man named George Crisp has become a close friend of the family.
“Every time we visit, we will be walking down the street, and you know exactly whose voice you’re hearing when it yells out my dad’s name (Mitch Hastings),” Ryder said. “Seeing the expression on his face and the love he truly has for my dad is priceless, and love like that is hard to find.”
While Ryder certainly shows up for the students he assists on the days they need him, he also knows that some days he needs the students to provide support.
“One day I had just had a pretty tough math test, and I just wasn’t feeling the best that whole day,” he said. “When I walked into the classroom that day, everyone was lined up to give me a hug, without even knowing what was going on. That put a smile on my face after having a really bad day. I didn’t know how bad I needed a hug that day, and I ended up getting five or six.”
Ryder says that moment proved to him he wanted to pursue a future in special education.
“After college, I would love to return to the school setting to work with the special education students,” he said.
After graduation, Ryder will head to Glenville State to study special education and join the GSU wrestling program.
