Ryan Kirby

‌Class of 2018 | General Studies

Ryan Kirby, of Attleboro, MA, enrolled in college because he knew it was something he needed to do…but what he made of his time at Bristol Community College determined his future trajectory. Born in Alaska to a military family, Ryan and his siblings moved around a bit before settling in North Attleboro, where he attended high school. Ryan was never really active or engaged during high school, so he knew that things would have to change if he wanted to make a difference in college. Something “clicked” when he came to Bristol, and Ryan jumped right in by getting involved on campus. Not only did he excel academically, but he showed leadership on the Attleboro campus and in student government.

Ryan joined the student senate as the Attleboro campus representative, and even served as their secretary, where he had the opportunity to advocate for his fellow Attleboro students. Recognizing the lack of clubs in Attleboro, Ryan became the Founder/Vice President of the Comic Book Club and assisted in the creation of the Psychology Club, the Music Appreciation Club and the Table Top Gaming Association.

In addition, Ryan used his academic abilities to help others succeed by becoming a tutor in developmental math, biology, psychology, chemistry and more. He also tutors young students (K-8) in Downtown Attleboro. “Becoming a tutor, I realized that giving back to the school and to the students was really important to me,” Ryan said. 

After discovering his passion for astrophysics and astronomy, Ryan also spent time as a Supplemental Instructor for an Astronomy class, serving as the foundation for his future career path. Ryan completed his associate degree in General Studies from Bristol. He is currently pursuing a degree in Astrophysics with hopes of eventually working in research and the privatized space industry. From there, Ryan’s tutoring roots will resurface, as he would also like to use his education to teach science to others.