October 31, 2022 by Natalie Rock ’23 provided by Mr. Snyder
What are you going to be for Halloween? What is your favorite Halloween candy?
For Halloween, Mr. Snyder is being… himself! All jokes aside, he gets told around 10 times a day that he looks like Steve Harrington, so he and his girlfriend are dressing up as Steve and Nancy (you’ll find the two of them specifically in the ice cream parlor outfits.) Mr. Snyder’s favorite Halloween candy is Reese’s. He answered with no hesitation, declaring it “a classic.”
Halloween traditions? Favorite Halloween movie?
Mr. Snyder didn’t actually grow up as a huge Halloween lover or scary movie watcher. He was “converted” by his girlfriend who is a spooky season fanatic. All throughout the month of October, they watch one scary movie per night. He said, “if life gets in the way and we can’t watch one, we’ll make it up with two the next night.” He is a big fan of the Scream franchise and especially likes the original. A more non-traditional Halloween favorite of his is Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
What is your favorite subject to sub for?
Mr. Snyder is currently a graduate student with a content area in Social Studies, making it his favorite class to sub for. The amazing group of history teachers at the high school also influence Mr. Snyder’s interest in subbing within the social studies department. Since childhood, his love for the humanities never really left him. Mr. Snyder still thoroughly enjoys reading and writing. He ended up taking this passion to college and double majoring in English and Social Studies.
“The students are so generous with me,” he said. Mr. Snyder mentioned how students always make it a point to tell him how much they enjoy having him. He explained how difficult it was to build a trusting relationship with his students, but that he’s so grateful he has. Automatically, there’s an interesting dynamic between himself and the kids, as he is a younger teacher at the age of 25. In the grander scheme of things, there is not such a drastic distinction between himself and the students as it is with other teachers.
What do you think the students think of you?
Mr. Snyder mentioned that forming trust and respect with teachers can also be an obstacle. As a teenager he went to Saratoga Springs HS and had some of the teachers he subs for now. But finding himself back in the building hasn’t prevented him from forming incredible bonds with teachers, those he already knew and those he didn’t.
Where did you attend college? Likes? Dislikes?
He graduated from Saratoga Springs High School, and loved it so much that he’s back now. He double majored in English and History at SUNY ADK, got his Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany, and will receive his masters from SUNY Empire. He jokes he’ll have gone to all of the SUNY schools once he finishes his graduate school.
What are your future career goals and plans? Is there another job you have along with subbing, or one you hope to have?
As previously mentioned, Mr. Snyder is currently in graduate school. He is hoping for a full time teaching position at Saratoga once he finishes with that. He wants to teach history and he really enjoys working with his former teachers. He originally started subbing at Maple Avenue Middle School to be further removed from his past teachers. He was hesitant to work alongside them, but once he did, he knew he had found his passion (or maybe it was just to get away from the middle schoolers.) He especially appreciated the effect that Mr. Northrup had on him as a student. Before being in his class, Mr. Snyder was directionless. Mr. Northrup changed all of that for him. Mr. Snyder reflected on his time in the class, saying, “His patience and his knowledge were life changing.”
What are your hobbies outside of school?
To name a few, Mr. Snyder enjoys:
- Creative writing (both fiction and nonfiction). He has dabbled in poetry but that was a bigger part of his life in college.
- “Tutoring, if that’s considered a hobby.”
- Watching movies! He is a self-proclaimed film buff. His October movie marathon is evidence enough.
- Set building. His girlfriend runs the drama club at a different school and Mr. Snyder loves to help them out.
- Cooking! He cooks dinner every night. Sundays are special cooking days, with a big brunch and dinner menu. His first job was as a dishwasher in the old Phila Street restaurant “Peabody’s”, and he worked as a chef at the senior living home “Prestwick Chase.”
What does the ideal weekend look like to you?
-Friday: “Pizza is ordered, no homework, no extracurriculars.” He would be with his girlfriend and his cat, Liam, that he rescued in 2020.
-Saturday: He prefers to get all chores and work out of the way in the morning, so it’s not hanging over his head. Once it gets around to the evening, it’s time for a non-negotiable sushi dinner and a night of watching either a sports game or a movie.
-Sunday: Dedicated to cooking! He always makes a big brunch and a big dinner. Last week was biscuits and gravy for brunch and penne ala vodka for dinner.
If a genie granted you 3 wishes right now, what would you wish for?
- 1. Liam (his cat) to live forever
- 2. Good health for friends and family. When asked about his own health he answered, “I mean sure. I want to be around to watch them have great health.”
- 3. Eradication of illness and poverty for everyone
How would people close to you describe you?
Mr. Snyder somewhat struggled with this question, not wanting to brag about himself. He finally said that his family and girlfriend would say he’s a hard worker, funny, extremely resilient, and dependable.
What is something on your bucket list?
Mr. Snyder has never been out of the U.S. and doesn’t have a passport. A dream of his is to generally travel “far and wide”, but he pictures the perfect trip as a grand tour of Europe. He is hoping to honeymoon in Italy with his girlfriend.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Mr. Snyder said he feels “accomplishments are building good habits to live by, rather than doing X number of things.” One thing he is truly proud of is gaining his students’ trust. As previously mentioned, trust between the educator and the learner is hard to form. He said it was scary but has become incredibly fulfilling for him. He also mentioned that “blindly trusting students when you first get to know them is crucial.”
What is one thing that students don’t know about you?
“I’ve had a really interesting series of jobs before subbing,” he said. He worked on the film Paint as a location scout and a Unit Production Assistant. He got recommended for the job after quitting his “executive assistant to the mayor” position, but has kept many great relations within city council. The accounts branch said he would be perfect for the job, because of his knowledge of Saratoga. He not only got the job but he also secured Owen Wilson’s personal phone number! Now that is a fun fact.