Howdy! My name is Keith Ragsdale. I joined Ridge Point in 2018. This year, I will be teaching English I and Civil Engineering & Architecture. Some of you may be wondering—because many people have already asked—how I have come to be teaching in two seemingly disparate fields. It’s a good question.

My educational background is architecture: I graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Environmental Design in 1998 and from the University of Texas at Austin with the Master of Architecture in 2010. Professionally, I have worked on various building projects, including homes, hospitals, churches, and retail stores in Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico.

That much explains the Civil Engineering & Architecture side of the equation. The English Language Arts component stems from my adventures as a Ph.D. candidate in the History and Theory of Architecture at McGill University in Montreal from 2010 to 2016. It was during this time that I fell in love with books and the writing process. I was also fortunate to leverage my studies toward travel abroad, conducting archival research in Paris, and presenting a conference paper in Florence. A few journal articles were written along the way as well.

You see, architecture is a discipline that encompasses many educational content areas. The idea goes back to Vitruvius, the Roman author of the first architectural treatise (first-century BC), who expected an architect to know writing, drawing, geometry, history, philosophy, medicine, music, law, and astrology. I believe such a cross-curricular integration aligns with the district's goal of providing a rigorous academic foundation for its graduates. What draws me to teaching, then, is a mission to cultivate critical and creative thinkers and to share my passion for lifelong learning. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our students in these endeavors at Ridge Point for the 2019–2020 school year.