This semester, Chapman High School welcomes science teacher Rex Rittenberg. It may come as a surprise, but Rittenberg is actually a science teacher at Landrum High School as well. 

After his first class at Landrum, Rittenberg makes his way here to teach Earth Science Honors and Chemistry One. 

While traveling between the two schools is a unique challenge, Rittenberg says that the people he gets to interact with make the trip worth it.

“Traveling back and forth isn’t the greatest, but meeting new people and seeing my students is really awesome,” said Rittenberg. 

Rittenberg goes on to explain that since he already is a teacher at Landrum, he knows a lot of the staff at Chapman, but he is looking forward to meeting the students. 

“(I’m most excited about) meeting new people and building new relationships,” Rittenberg said.

After high school, and after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Rittenberg joined the Navy. He served for five years at two different commands which allowed him to go all over the world.

Additionally, not only does he have a degree in Environmental Science, but he has also traveled to all 50 states and has even lived in about half of them.  

“My degree is in environmental science, but I think traveling has probably helped me out quite a bit just because I have been able to see so many different types of ecosystems and so many great people around the world,” said Rittenberg. 

With Rittenberg’s many world experiences, he wants his students and his colleagues to know that everyone goes through a human experience, and respect is key to making it through. 

“I believe that everyone is going through a human experience,” Rittenberg said. 

“Whether I understand their human experience or not, I need to respect that they’re going through that certain human experience. I think if we could all respect that, then the world would be a really cool place.”