Ryan Klerekoper Named Bishop Kelley’s 2025 St. Francis of Assisi Teacher of the Year

September 24, 2025
Ryan Klerekoper is in his fourth year as a teacher at Bishop Kelley. In his short tenure at the school, Ryan has quickly distinguished himself as an adept, informed, reflective and engaging teacher of English. Ryan has taught freshmen through seniors at Bishop Kelley, though his mainstay is freshman English.

When Ryan arrived at Bishop Kelley, he moved into the English Department seamlessly; he has become an integral part of the department. His students meet his high expectations, and judging from the flock of students who gather around him between classes, he is beloved of current and former students alike.

One peer teacher describes him as, “One of Bishop Kelley's best teachers. He creates engaging lessons for his students who thrive in his classroom and who enjoy his teaching immensely as well; Ryan prioritizes keeping rigor high while also keeping learning fun.”

Ryan displays a genuine concern for the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual development of his students. He holds his students to high standards but supports them in their efforts and struggles. He makes strong personal connections with each of his students. If you walk by his room before and after school, you find a room filled with animated students seeking his advice and affirmation. To help foster his own as well as his students’ spiritual growth, Ryan joined a faculty PLC to explore ways to integrate faith into his curriculum; he is genuinely focused on helping to develop the whole child. 

A fellow teacher describes him, “Ryan inspires his fellow English teachers to maintain the highest academic standards. He maintains humility by sharing and critiquing ideas as a team, incorporating new works of literature, and offering usable feedback with encouragement. It is a blessing to work with him; he is an outstanding teacher. “ 

Ryan holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in English from Northeastern State University. At Northeastern he won the Academic Achievement Award as the Most Outstanding Student in 2019. Prior to Bishop Kelley, Ryan taught both middle and high school English in the Union school district after a ten-year career with Mazzio's Pizza.  

The admiration and respect he inspires in both students and colleagues stand as a testament to the transformative impact he has on the lives of Bishop Kelley students. 

The 2025 Saint Francis of Assisi Teacher of the Year from Bishop Kelley is Ryan Klerekoper.  

Bishop Konderla will celebrate the SFOA Annual Mass and Teacher Awards:
👉 Friday, October 3, 2025
⛪ 6 pm at Holy Family Cathedral
July 30, 2026
One hundred and forty-five Bishop Kelley students were recently named AP Scholars through their demonstrated excellence in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Fifty-five of these students were named as AP Scholars with Distinction. The accolade is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. This is the highest recognition the College Board offers through the AP program. In addition, thirty-eight Bishop Kelley students were named AP Scholars with Honors. These awards are granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Another fifty-three students have been designated AP Scholars, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Two hundred and seventy-seven Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and thirty-seven Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2026 with an extraordinary 89% scoring “3” or higher. Fifteen percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score. Another forty-two percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers. The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students include twenty-three different subjects, covering a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and thirty-eight AP English Language and Composition students, followed by ninety-eight students who took the AP United States Government test, and seventy-two who took the AP Pre-calculus exam. Bishop Kelley students scored the highest average on the AP Physics I exam with a school mean score of 4.47, followed by AP English Literature with a mean score of 4.13. Fifty-nine percent of Bishop Kelley alumni in the Class of 2026 graduated with a “3” or higher on at least one AP exam in their high school tenure. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1-5 with a “passing” score considered to be a “3” or higher. Bishop Kelley offers students AP exams in nineteen different subject areas. AP tests, developed by college and university professors, are considered among the most rigorous college-preparatory exams for high school students today. Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Distinction Claire Anderson Jacob Arp Lola Bain Rylan Bauer Clara Berg Quinn Brasseux Dean Brown Rebecca Carlile Alexander Clark Landon Danz Mary Alice Doyle Lauren Embry Cole Finn Gianna Frey John Galbraith Macy Gerkin Madeline Gerkin Isabella Gilbert Evan Green Addison Greer Owen Hair Charles Hill Benjamin Hoel Madison Holleman Simone Hounshell Hayden Hutto William Johnson Robert Karlovich Asher Keltner Reese Launchbaugh Ella Lundt Jacqueline Manning Stacey Maupin Isabella McClure Joseph McKean Sophia McKnight Madeline Mellen Claire Nelson Danny Nguyen Eva Nguyen Hannah Nguyen Abigail Orr Lillian Orr Cade Parks Anna Pereira Laurel Pohlenz Ashley Richer Joseph Schurman Kate Strandmark William Tanner Hope Thompson Jonathan Tran Colette VanTrease Dat Vu Jackson Wrobleski Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Honors Alex Aldrette Liam Allen Noah Baum Audrey Brewer Caroline Cohlmia Margaret Doyle Cadence Fielstra Bella Fusco Victoria Gogol Claire Goodman Kaylee Grisaffe Bode Harris Martin Hernandez Benjamin Hixon George Johnston Kinsley Knapp Riley Knox Hudson Kruggel Mark Kuehler Jordan Morales Dexton Nance Katelyn Rains Olivia Rambo Matthew Ranallo William Ritzhaupt Brooke Rossow Kira Smith Catherine Sousa Harper Spanier Madalene Stoulil Isabel Swiney Elizabeth Tran Laila Uhren Thanh Vu Dane Weldon Aidan Wilson Ella Wrobleski Bishop Kelley AP Scholars Margaret Abraham Violet Abraham Daniel Allred Madelyn Anderson Alexander Barry Noah Bietto James Blankenship Virginia-Grey Buck Ian Burris Maurizio Carbonell Lucy Cermak Emily Cook Kennedy Cooper Jonathan Corfidi Jackson Cortright Caroline Dowdell Jason Dowdell Madeline Dunham Trevor Gable Liam Hall Madeline Heatherman Thompson Herndon Jacob Hoang Eli Horeled Ashley Huynh Clay Jordan Maggie Leach Sarah Leake Blair Leonard Sean Maloney Nicole McKean Grant Morrison Ava Myers Delilah Nguyen Monserrat Novelo-Roig Isabella Paschal Julian Penny Josh Phillips Dutch Prather Sebastian Quiroz Ryland Ramos Eliza Riffe William Sandusky Avery Sparks Elise Sullivan Henry Talley Hayden Throop Aaron Valadkhani Marcus Warden Ildri Weber Colton Williams Laila Wong Landon Woolley 
June 29, 2026
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