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Chancellor High School grad logs an impressive number of hours as a volunteer with Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue Date published: 7/15/2008
by Jonas Beals
Spotsylvania County students receive a special seal on their diplomas if they complete 144 hours of community service during their high school careers. Recent Chancellor High graduate Ryan Glasshoff has such a seal--for 2,800 hours. Ryan might deserve 20 special seals, but he's not complaining. He spent those community service hours doing what he loves: working for the fire department. A large portion of his free time as a junior and senior was spent at Chancellor Volunteer Fire & Rescue's Company 5 station on Plank Road. Ryan's parents divorced when he was 5, and his older sister's boyfriend, Steve Cooper, was a Chancellor firefighter. When the family turmoil was swirling, he found comfort in trips to the firehouse. It's still his home away from home. "I fell in love," he said. "All I could ask is when we would go back to the firehouse." As he got older, Ryan gained respect for Cooper--now his brother-in-law and a career firefighter for Spotsylvania. "Watching him lead other people is what inspired me to volunteer, to become a firefighter," Ryan said. At 16, Ryan became eligible to volunteer as a junior firefighter. He didn't waste any time, beginning a rigorous schedule that he stuck with until graduation, spending as much time at the station as he was allowed. On a typical school day, Ryan woke up, got to school on time and stayed until about 2 p.m. After finishing his homework and grabbing a quick snack, he headed to the firehouse to work from 6 to 10 p.m. On weekends, Ryan got to the station at 8 in the morning on Saturday and left Sunday night at 10. "I loved it," he said. "It was a new adventure every day. It still is." Ryan managed to maintain As and Bs as he logged volunteer hours. His fellow firefighters encouraged him, making sure he kept school as his top priority. Working as a firefighter in high school was a positive experience for Ryan. He was able to relate his assignments to real-world experience, and he enjoyed the added respect his position gave him. On the other hand, getting schoolwork done was a challenge. "It was like having a new toy to play with," he said. "I had to set priorities."
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