Ryan Merriwether made the right choice when he switched career paths.

“When you invest in people, you always win,” said the 33-year-old former forensic advisory consultant turned assistant principal.

A smile lit up Merriwether’s face as he described his journey from forensics to education.

He is one of six USI graduates featured in Evansville Business Journal’s 2014 “20 Under 40,” an annual list of emerging leaders. While at USI, Merriwether worked with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“That experience showed me how genuine kids are and the impact developing a relationship can have on a student,” he said.

Out of college, Merriwether started his life as a forensic advisory consultant in Chicago, Illinois at Deloitte and Touche, LLC. During that time he decided to switch careers in order to fulfill his dream tof working with kids and to pursue his love of math.

He returned to Evansville to take undergraduate math classes at USI to complete his education requirement, while working as a custodian for the university.

“Robin Carroll was a professor during my graduate work that really inspired me to be a better educational leader,” he said. “Mrs. Sheila Huff’s course prepared me, as much as possible, for the practical challenges of the job.”

Also, when I moved back to Evansville, it was a great opportunity to change.

After completeing a Transitioning to Teaching program at UE, he returned to USI for a Master’s in Educational Leadership.

“USI provided me with the opportunity to transition from one profession to another,” he said. “Also, the relationships I have established while finishing my degree continue to people I reach out to in my professional career.”

Eventually, via former contacts from high school, Merriwether stepped his foot in the door and positions began opening up within the EVSC community.

Presently the Assistant Principal at Washington Middle School, Merriwether truly cares for the students, he said. Merriwether is also a member of the EVSC Brown University Learning Leadership Cadre. The Cadre exposed him to what other school districts are doing to face common educational challenges.

“It has also provided me with the opportunity to collaborate with my colleagues and develop stronger relationships with them,” he said. “Having colleagues that you can turn to is critical to survival.”

Always enjoying the company of children, Merriwether did not expect his path would lead to interacting with them everyday.

“I always ask myself, ‘What students did I invest in today?’” he said.

A few of his day-to-day responsibilities include managing student discipline, teacher observations and walk-throughs, communicating with parents about concerns, providing supervision during unstructured times, hiring new staff and making sure the school complies with state and federal laws when it comes to students IEP.

Merriwether said he was honored, after the long road to his Assistant Principal position, to be recognized in the EBJ.

“It’s definitely a humbling experience. I don’t take responsibility for any of it, “ he said.

He credits his recognition to all of the individuals who invested their time in him. Merriwether said he had advice for students that may be struggling with what they want to do with their lives.

“Don’t get caught up in, ‘Oh, when I’m 30-years-old this is where I should be, or by the time I’m 45 I should be here,” he said. “Life is a journey, and wherever you are on your journey, that’s just where you are.”