Why is Everyone Talking to Mr. Herlihy?

Why is Everyone Talking to Mr. Herlihy?

By: Jack Cavicchi

Published: 10/15/2021

What qualities do you look for in a person whom you hope to confide in and seek advice from? Some of you may think of a trustworthy, reliable person, a family member or a close friend. At North Quincy High School, there is a person who fits the trustworthy and reliable mold perfectly, Mr. Herlihy.

Mr. Ryan Herlihy grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts, attending North Quincy High School and graduating in 1997. He attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, majoring in psychology. While at Wesleyan, he was a pitcher for the Division III baseball team. After graduating from Wesleyan, he attended Endicott College for 2 years, acquiring his masters degree in secondary education. In making his decision to become a teacher, he decided he wanted to share his experiences and influence others in positive ways.

In 2007, Mr. Herlihy was offered a position as a physical education teacher at North Quincy High. He worked until 2009, where budgeting caused him to lose his position. Ultimately, Mr. Herlihy felt disappointed to have lost his job but used it as an opportunity to broaden his horizons. A friend approached Mr. Herlihy and asked him to help out with a construction project. For around 4 years, Mr. Herlihy worked in construction, until a position at Weymouth Middle School arose. Back to working as a physical education teacher, Mr. Herlihy was excited to return to the teaching field. In 2015, things continued to improve as Mr. Herlihy returned to North Quincy High School, this time as the health interventionist. The health interventionist position was designed specifically to bring Mr. Herlihy back to the school system. Today, Mr. Herlihy teaches the health curriculum to all grades as part of the physical education requirements.

Mr. Herlihy is a very interactive person, rarely to be seen alone as he is always talking with students and roaming around. You might ask, what sets Mr. Herlihy apart from the other staff at the school?

“I try to treat students equal to staff members, put myself in their shoes and understand what they are going through because I have been there before” said Mr. Herlihy in an interview. To use an analogy, Mr. Herlihy can be like a sponge. Anyone could come talk to him and he could just absorb the information and say nothing, serving as a place for students to rant, or he could provide some help or an opinion on the situation. Mr. Herlihy strives to make himself available to give students advice regarding school, life, family, drugs, etc.

“I love my job” Mr. Herlihy said. Some contributing factors to this are that he rarely has a constant day. His schedule is varying and “a different day everyday” Throughout his teaching career, he has taught all different ages. To be able to teach high school students, his favorite age, at the same school he attended is “amazing”. His job also offers a lot of freedom and flexibility throughout his day, which Mr. Herlihy has said to love and appreciate.

Coming into the school daily, Mr. Herlihy tries to make a difference. In a recent interview, he said “there is more to life than just school” and he keeps that in his mind when helping and talking to students.