Agriculture teacher and vocational education mentor Ryan Bergen has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Wake County Public School System. Photo Credit: Wake County Public School System

Congratulations to Ran Bergland, a teacher and vocational mentor from Wake County, North Carolina. He was named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS).

Ryan earned his Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education from the University of Mount Olive, a private institution located in Mount Olive, North Carolina. Today, he teaches agriculture courses at Milbrook Magnet High School. He has taught at the campus since 2019.

At Milbrook High, Ryan has helped implement the school’s Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) program, which allows over 350 students to gain work-based learning experiences each year. Students in the program have started businesses, worked with local agriculture enterprises, and created their own service programs.

Over the course of his career, Ryan has learned a thing or two about working with young people. “Our students are able to build some amazing projects that show their true understanding of the objectives in the course,” he declares. “I always tell my students, ‘I will not be there in the real world to tell you how to build it, you will have to figure it out.’ This takes their understanding to a new level,” he continues.

Before becoming a teacher, Ryan was a professional welder and equipment fabricator. In fact, he is an AWS-certified welding inspector. That prior experience benefits his students greatly. He helps them achieve their welding certification, which industry professionals say is equal to passing the bar exam and becoming a lawyer. The school district reports that 64 students have become certified welders under Ryan’s mentorship.