Amy Ryken’s Teaching Journey

If you’ve ever gone to shows like the musical or Pops, you may have noticed the ASL (American Sign Language) students translating next to the stage. ASL is taught by Amy Ryken, the only ASL teacher at CVHS. She wasn’t always an ASL teacher though. 

“I started (learning ASL) when I was in the fourth grade at Chabot Elementary School in Castro Valley. My teacher there taught us on the side and I loved it,” Ryken said. She decided to pursue this passion and started learning on her own at home using an ASL dictionary, which includes pictures of signs and descriptions of how to sign them.

Moving on to CVHS and beyond, she furthered this passion. “(ASL) wasn’t offered here at the high school as a language so I started taking summer classes and then I started taking the Castro Valley Adult School enrichment classes in ASL,” Ryken shared. “Then I went to Las Positas, transferred to Cal State East Bay, and then I got my teaching credentials at Saint Mary’s. ASL was my minor.”

When asked if she wanted to be an ASL teacher, Ryken said, “No, I always wanted to teach elementary school. I started teaching at Marshal Elementary School.” 

Now, Ryken is proud of her position as an ASL teacher. “I always taught elementary and I never thought I would be here teaching,” she said.

More than anything, Ryken is beloved by her students. “I love Mrs. Ryken, she’s awesome. I like ASL because it’s super fun,” said Carly Hillen, a junior in ASL three.

“I like seeing my students learn to love the language and then seeing them develop into stronger skilled signers. I also love hearing from my students. If they’re in their jobs and they tell me a deaf person has come in and they’re able to communicate with them, then I feel like we’ve accomplished something like they’ve learned because my goal is for them to take what they’ve learned here and be able to apply that in life.”