Prep's Kho named GISA Teacher of the Year

Augusta Prep's Ryan Kho has been named the Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA) Middle School Teacher of the Year. On Friday, Nov. 6, GISA vice president Stan Whitlock presented Kho with the award.
"I'm really honored," Kho said. "I'm humbled in a way. Even just to be acknowledged means a lot. At the same time, I know there's so many amazing teachers out there. So it's hard to feel like I get the special award and all the other teachers don't get their special award. It almost seems like all teachers should get 'Teacher of the Year', especially this year.
"I'm honored to accept it, but at the same time it's hard to accept it because it means I'm more special than others and I'm not."
Kho has accomplished many things in his tenure at Augusta Prep, leading the 2015 varsity girls tennis team to a state championship, heading up the Middle School tennis program and running the Middle School Chess Club and MATHCOUNTS Club.
Kho, who was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Canada, didn’t have teaching on his radar as a youth. He grew up thinking about being a neurosurgeon, like his grandfather. He played tennis as a youth; his uncle played for China in the Davis Cup and also played in Wimbledon. Kho  played the violin as a youth; his mother was a pianist, while his father was a dentist before becoming an attorney.
“It’s kind of funny,” Kho said, “when I think about all the different professions in my family.”
He chose the musical path, attending the New England Conservatory of Music on full scholarship and receiving a bachelor’s degree in music. Upon graduation, he spent his first career as a concert violinist.
“I was going to be a neurosurgeon, but something just clicked in me,” Kho said. “I was making it into all these orchestras. I was playing solos. I was in competitions. Maybe this is something I really wanted to do, which is great because I toured all over the world.”
He taught during summers in San Francisco. He took the Hong Kong Orchestra on its debut to France. He has played violin all over the world, including a performance at the famed Carnegie Hall.
In 1990, he came to Augusta as concertmaster (second only to the conductor) of the Augusta Symphony. He continued in that role for 19 years, while also teaching music at the University of South Carolina, the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University. He also tutored math on the side, “for fun,” he said.
“Math has always been my strong point,” Kho added. “Science was always something I was going into. Somehow, I just had a career path turn.”
Following his retirement from the Augusta Symphony, Kho received his Master of Arts in Teaching from Augusta University. He soon found a teaching position at Augusta Prep. He said he still wakes up excited to teach every morning.
“It’s amazing teaching here,” he said. “Teaching here, you always have an atmosphere of positive learning. Everybody wants to learn.”
While Kho is now in his 12th year of teaching Middle School math, he is also coaching the Middle School tennis teams (girls and boys). Kho, who is married to Christine and has a son (Aidan) in sixth grade, leads the Middle School Math Team (MATHCOUNTS), taking them to various competitions in the spring. On Mondays, he conducts the youth orchestra at Augusta University. He also conducts all-state orchestras in South Carolina. In his free time, he plays tennis in 4.0 leagues and runs in various 10K events throughout the year. He also enjoys cooking and gardening.
“I think that’s about it,” he said, laughing. 
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    • MS Math Teacher Ryan Kho accepts award from GISA vice president Stan Whitlock

Augusta Preparatory Day School

Augusta Preparatory Day School is an independent, college preparatory school serving children ages 2 through Grade 12 from the greater Augusta-Aiken area. Augusta Prep seeks to enroll a group of diverse students. We follow an open admission policy, whereby qualified candidates are admitted without regard to religion, race, nationality, economic background, or ethnic origin. 
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