For Brian Blase, education has always meant possibility. After growing up in an economically struggling part of Pennsylvania, he came to see learning as more than a classroom requirement; it was a path forward. That belief has shaped every chapter of his career, from his early days in industry to his years as an elementary teacher in Derry Township School District. Today, Blase helps students discover that they are capable of far more than they may realize—a lesson he considers one of the most important any teacher can give.

     Blase did not begin his professional life in education. His first training was in welding, and he worked for a coal company before deciding to change direction. Watching the uncertainty around him—and imagining what the future might hold if he stayed that course—pushed him to make what he describes as a U-turn toward teaching. He began his career in 2004 as a fourth-grade teacher. Then, in the spring of 2020, he seized an opportunity to help create an elementary STEAM program, bringing science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics to students in grades three through five.

     That work is both inspiring and demanding. Blase teaches more than 800 students each week, a number that would overwhelm many educators. Yet he makes it a point to know each child by name. In a world where students can easily feel overlooked, he believes relationships are the foundation of meaningful learning. Academic success matters, but Blase argues that a lasting connection with a teacher can carry a child even further than a test score. His goal is simple and powerful: to show students their potential, especially those who may not yet see it in themselves.

     One of the clearest examples of that mission in action is Trojan News Network, a student-led newscast that began as an experiment and grew into something much larger. Since its launch, students have created more than 150 episodes, with a new installment airing each Friday. For Blase, the project stands as a living record of what young people can achieve when they are trusted with real responsibility and creative freedom. Former students and parents still talk about the impact of the experience, proof that the lessons students take from school often extend well beyond the classroom walls.

     Blase’s story is also deeply connected to the Hershey area he now calls home. After two decades in the community, he values its beauty, safety, and strong sense of connection, as well as the balance it offers between cultural opportunities and family life. Whether exploring local trails, enjoying restaurants along Chocolate Avenue, or spending time with his wife and two daughters, he sees the same qualities in the region that he tries to nurture in his classroom: curiosity, belonging, and hope. In the end, Brian Blase is not simply teaching STEAM lessons. He is helping young people believe that hard-to-open doors can, in fact, open.