Ryan Blew
Ryan Blew has known what he wanted to be when he grew up since the third grade.
The USF junior says the feeling has stuck with him into the present day. He was inspired by his third-grade teacher, silver-medalist Olympic swimmer Kristy Kowal, but she didn鈥檛 inspire him to become an Olympian.
She inspired Blew to become a teacher.
Now an Elementary Education major in the College of Education, Blew is not only an aspiring educator, but he is also someone his coworkers and peers describe as a standout leader in the numerous roles he plays outside of his classes.
An out-of-state student from Reading, PA, Blew is active on campus as President of Bulls For Kids, an organization in USF鈥檚 Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement that hosts USF鈥檚 Dance Marathon, a movement of student-run philanthropies benefiting the children at Shriners Hospitals For Children鈥� Tampa.
Bulls For Kids frequently hosts DanceMarathon fundraisers, both at USF and at local schools through partnerships, and Blew served as a coordinator for the organization, collaborating with community schools to help them organize their own Dance Marathons.
After collaborating with these schools, Blew created a leadership development program that helps students to go beyond their checklists and to pause, reflect and be able to articulate the skills they are using to learn and grow as leaders.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really putting meaning to the work that they鈥檝e done,鈥� said Justin Fitzgerald, Assistant Director for Leadership & Civic Engagement.
Blew continues his work with Bulls For Kids because of the children that the group鈥檚 efforts support. At last year鈥檚 Bulls For Kids USF Dance Marathon, amidst the competitions between student organizations, students dancing, other students frantically studying for midterms and all the other commotion at the Olympics themed fundraiser, a child came up to speak.
Ryan Blew with students at Lakeland High School.
The child was, Zavi, from Shriners Hospitals for Children. He was a young boy of about 8 years old whose right leg was amputated and replaced with a prosthetic. Blew said looking at the boy, one of many children who would show up each hour to come share their stories, reminded him why he volunteers his time for the organization.
鈥淲hen I saw him, I saw a kid who could be in my class at some point,鈥� he said. 鈥�... I think knowing that one day I could have him in my classroom and would have to accommodate for him and I wouldn鈥檛 want him to be excluded from anything, I think that鈥檚 what really pushes me to want to keep helping the kids.鈥�
Blew rose through the ranks of Bulls For Kids, mastering the different skill sets required at each level along the way. Fitzgerald said he鈥檚 truly seen Blew grow as a leader because of it.
鈥淲hat that says to us, as staff, is that he is really diving into one set of skills in one level and then he is mastering those as much as he can and then growing the next year into a whole new set of skills,鈥� Fitzgerald said. 鈥�... To see him in the highest now position in Bulls for Kids, it鈥檚 pretty inspiring because he has really gone through all the other tiers to figure out what it is about himself that he needs to learn, but also what about others and how to lead others.鈥�
Blew said he ties his passion for education into everything he does, from his coursework, to his work with Bulls For Kids, to his student employment in Student Academic Services, an office in the College of Education that provides academic advising and support to undergraduate and Master of Arts in Teaching students. He said that鈥檚 just the kind of personality he has 鈥� someone who is always looking to help out in the various organizations he is involved in, and who dives full force into his work.
鈥淚鈥檓 one of those type of people that I push to try to do more, so I think working (at Student Academic Services), I got a lot more out of what a lot of other students might get out of it, because I鈥檓 always trying to help with tasks and do anything I can to help make things successful,鈥� he said.
Fitzgerald said Blew鈥檚 passion to do more has helped him stand out on a board of people all dedicated to Bulls For Kids.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very focused, very passionate, very dedicated,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 overseeing a board that is essentially, in many ways, like their own non-profit, and so that means having vision and dedication and leadership to others, but it also means 鈥� operating from your heart.鈥�
Lindsey Williams, Assistant Director for Recruitment and Retention and Blew鈥檚 supervisor in Student Academic Services, said it鈥檚 the perfect kind of personality for the kind of work he does in the College of Education and for what he will be doing as an educator.
鈥淚 think if he鈥檚 any indication of the future educators we鈥檒l have working with youth in this country, that we are well positioned to bring about a lot of positive change,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e looks at something that鈥檚 good and he want to make it better and he鈥檚 not afraid to do it.鈥�
Outside of his role at the front desk, Blew leads training sessions for Junior Achievement, an organization that works to inspire young people to succeed in a global economy. Through this work, he coordinates about 75 USF student volunteers to go teach at Miles Elementary School in Tampa. Williams said the command Blew garners while working alongside his peers is a true testament to his character.
鈥淚f you go into a classroom with kindergarteners and you鈥檙e an intern, a lot of times it鈥檚 not very difficult for them to see you as an authority figure because you鈥檙e like twice their height, but I think the fact that he can get the respect from his peers speaks to him,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 confident, but he鈥檚 competent too.鈥�
For Blew, leadership and service isn鈥檛 about gaining a good reputation. It鈥檚 about the impact of the work that he does.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more important to me that I know that I鈥檓 helping others,鈥� he said.