There isn’t much Atlantic Collegiate Academy’s new chemistry teacher hasn’t seen in her career as an educator.
Colleen Ryan is bringing all her experience to South Carolina after spending the last 25 years working and teaching in Colorado.
Born in Chicago, Ryan is the daughter of a chemical engineer. She grew up in Claymont, Del., where she attended Archmere Academy, competing on the track and cross country teams. She earned first team All-State honors in track.
“Colleen comes with a lot of experience in the out of the classroom,” ACA principal Mike Lorenz said. “Not only will she be teaching Algebra II in school, but she will also be an adjunct chemistry professor. It is amazing for someone to be able to do both.”
She moved across the country for college, attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in chemistry and mathematics, graduating in 1986. From there she moved down the coast to go to graduate school at UCLA, earning a master’s in chemistry in 1989.
After completing her education, Ryan worked for many years as a synthetic organic chemist. That career took her to stops in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and finally to Colorado, where she embarked on a teaching career.
“I began my career as an organic chemist, synthesizing potential active drugs in several disease areas: cancer, obesity, diabetes and acne,” Ryan said. “Fortunately, I was able to spend the next 20 years raising my children full time. When I decided to return to work, I entered the teaching field. I spent several years tutoring math students and substituting in the St. Vrain Valley school district.”
She began teaching math and science (both chemistry and physics) as an adjunct professor at Front Range Community College in Westminster, Col., in 2014. She moved on to New Vision Charter School in Loveland, Col., in 2017, teaching sixth grade math, pre-algebra and algebra 1.
Ryan arrived at Flatirons Academy in Westminster in 2018, teaching math and science classes, including instruction in pre-algebra, algebra I and II, geometry and trigonometry as well as chemistry and physics.
“Knowing that I would prefer to teach at the high school level, I secured a job at Flatirons Academy, teaching algebra I and geometry during my first year,” Ryan said. “I had the chance to restructure the math department. I chose a new curriculum was instrumental in adding additional course options, and wrote scope and sequence for algebra II and trigonometry.”
Ryan has three children, including daughter Amanda Siedem, MD, who is a pediatric resident at Dartmouth’s Hitchcock Medical Center. Her son Matt Siedem graduated from Hofstra University and currently works in sales and her youngest son, Sean Siedem, is currently enrolled in college in pursuit of a degree in education.
A fan of Alfred Hitchock’s The Birds and is an 80s Rock aficionado. She enjoys swimming, skiing, golf and playing pool volleyball and is the parent of a seven-year-old coon hound mix named Goose.
