Meet Herach Danlyan, Upper School Math Teacher

By the time Herach “Rach” Danlyan was in the 7th grade in his native Cyprus, math was a subject that spoke to him. By high school, his favorite math teacher, who was also his soccer coach, showed him how calculus could be applied to his favorite sport—and he was hooked.

“I fell in love with math,” says Rach, “and making that connection for others became a passion of mine.”

Rach earned his bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics at Stanford University. He also continued playing soccer, both at the college and professional levels for many years—and eventually became a coach.

 These two loves—math and soccer—continue to play large roles in Rach’s life. Since 2004, he has been an upper school math teacher and soccer coach at Wildwood.

No matter the situation, the solution comes from asking, ‘How do I approach this problem?’ and ‘How do I come up with the best solution?’ I don’t want to just prepare our students for college. I want to help prepare them for life. - Herach Danlyan, UPPER SCHOOL MATH TEACHER

“As both a teacher and a coach, you can’t rely on what you knew or did last year,” Rach says. “You have to continually keep up with all the changes in your field—and on the field. In fact, I got into math and coaching because I didn’t want to follow a straight line. I prefer when different factors and variables can affect an outcome.”

Rach is also an advisor to upper school students, a role that he cherishes.

“Part of Greek culture is about connection, so when I connect with students and have a conversation with them as a citizen, that’s very special to me. Wildwood students are so wonderful at conversing. They’re mature, responsible, and think about big ideas. They make eye contact and are as interested in you as you are in them.”

Rach keeps in touch with his students long after they’ve left Wildwood. He’s even part of an alumni soccer league that started with four alumni and now stands at 25, and growing.

“I’m so excited to see what the kids have accomplished,” says Rach. I’m already seeing some of my advisees graduating college, getting engaged, getting married. I want to see what they are going to do and how they keep developing. I expect big things from them. It’s very exciting.”