Name: Ryan Matara

Hometown: Duluth, MN

Department: Director of Continuing Education and Summer College

Ryan attended college at St. Scholastica where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts in his major Organizational Behavior and his Master degree in Management with a concentration in Organizational Development.

The programs and services that Ryan provides are focused in three areas: Leadership and Management, Credit and Education Outreach, and Health and Human Interests. He also operates the English as a second language program as well as assisting with two of the collaborative degree programs for SMGT.

When asked what his favorite book was, he said that he enjoys Stephen King's Gunslinger Series.

One fun fact about Ryan is that he worked for almost ten years at a Casino as a Leadership Manager and Human Resource Trainer.

Ryan's advice for students to be successful is, "One of the things that I learned as a non-traditional student is that when things get difficult, whether it is coursework or trying to balance school with everything else in a busy life, take a deep breath and just keep on pushing toward your goals. The hard work pays off in the end, and makes graduation day just a little bit sweeter."

Thank you Ryan Matara for your time and hard work!