WOODBURY — Whether it’s teaching a class, coaching the golf team or just conversing with a student, you’ll find Ryan Campanario omnipresent on the Nonnewaug campus.
Better known as “Mr. Camp” among the Nonnewaug population, Campanario has taught physical education and health with Region 14 for 20 years. He previously taught 12 years at Woodbury Middle School and Mitchell Elementary School. Now in his eighth year teaching at Nonnewaug High School, he’s a veteran of the region and a pillar of the Nonnewaug community.
Campanario majored in movement science at Springfield College, where he realized he wanted to work with kids. His role as a wellness teacher combines his love for sports and passing his devotion for physical fitness to younger generations and for Campanario, teaching is in his blood.
“My dad was a teacher,” Campanario said. “I grew up around educators. I knew I wanted to work with kids.”
Campanario’s sunny disposition makes him the perfect candidate to mentor adolescents; he’s noted for his understanding, dedicated, and all around genuine character.
“He’s a motivator,” said Kathryn Brenner, a fellow Nonnewaug wellness instructor. “He’s a great conversationalist and he really cares about his students, so I think he’s a great teacher because of that.”
Many find Campanario’s classroom a stress-free environment due to his understanding nature and encouraging demeanor.
“He has a very caring personality for each and every student in the school and I think he shows empathy for students, even when they’re not having the greatest day in the world,” Brenner continued. “He works with the students, no matter what capacity, and he motivates them to get it done the best they can.”
Campanario also takes on the task of balancing his role as a coach and teacher with his role as a father. It’s through his experiences as a father that he’s honed his reputation as one of Nonnewaug’s most compassionate faculty members.
“My kids are young: My daughter is 8, and my twin boys are 5 and are on the autism spectrum,” said Campanario. “It’s a lot of work, but I love it. I wouldn’t change it.”
Campanario attributes his character to both positive and negative experiences he endured throughout his life. He acknowledges smaller-scale experiences having an impact on who he became.
“I’m very competitive,” Campanario said, “so looking back on sports, learning to lose and accepting that.”
However, the losses he endured on the field were not the only losses to impact him. Losing his mother-in-law just last year to leukemia, and his father 10 years ago, Campanario is no stranger to loss.
“Bigger things, like losing people, definitely molded me into who I am today,” Campanario continues, “and I think how you accept and deal with loss, whether it’s on a really high level or a lower level, [shapes you].”
Teaching fitness and health, Campanario bears the burden of educating kids on heavy topics such as mental health, which can be a sensitive subject for many students. He carries the weight of his students’, athletes’ and children’s well-being as seemingly effortlessly as he carries the iconic backpack he’s never seen without. Campanario’s backpack serves as a seemingly apt metaphor for the concern he carries with him for his students.
“It starts with having a good relationship with your students,” Campanario says. “Understanding that every kid, regardless of what they go home to, has something going on; everybody struggles. Not everything is perfect in every household, and things do arise that prevent kids from getting [schoolwork] done.”
Although teaching heavy subject matter can weigh heavily on some, Campanario’s role is balanced with the rewarding aspects of his position as an educator.
“I enjoy making connections and hoping that I’ve made a difference or a connection with a student that may not necessarily enjoy the subject I teach,” Campanario says. “It’s always great to see kids come back and take time out of their day to say ‘hi’ to me; that means something to me.”
Campanario’s involvement on campus doesn’t end at 2:15; he then steps into his role as a coach. Campanario has led the Nonnewaug golf team for eight years, and he doesn’t plan to stop soon.
“As a coach, he is accountable, determined, and committed,” said senior Nick Higgins, a former member of Campanario’s golf team. “He is really down to earth and has a genuine passion for the sport he coaches.”
His coaching methods have proven successful. In his eighth year coaching, Nonnewuag golf annually sits in the top three of the Berkshire League, a testament to his understanding and encouraging character he carries over into the teams he coaches.
“The game of golf is as much mental as it is physical, so confidence is key,” says Campanario. “Feeling comfortable and supported [on the course] can determine your game.”
