Ryan Stewart

What did you do immediately after high school was over?

I surfed Strands, hung out with Zucker and gang down at Monarch, then got packin’ for UCSD.

What are your best memories of Dana Hills?

Jr. Class Float, popping out with the guitar, and jammin’ to “Turning Japanese”. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to being a rock star, like my idol James Hetfield from Metallica.

Other than drinking massive amounts of water, what’s another quirky habit of yours from high school we may not remember or know?

Growing a beard junior year. I was almost escorted off school grounds one day when campus patrol thought I was some random adult. I explained I was the Jr. Class President, but it took the rest of my group to stop laughing and confirm my story before she believed me.

If you could have any part of the Dana Hills campus named the Ryan Stewart Memorial…, what would it be?

The room in the admin offices that had the microphone and P.A. system where I made the morning announcements each day.

What has been your single-most life changing event since DHHS?

Meeting my wife, Terri, getting married, and having kids. We met at Vanderbilt. She was in Nursing and I went there for Med School. She’s from San Francisco and we were introduced at a mixer. Being the only 2 Californians in the room, we had lots to talk about. Our wedding was in La Jolla.

Where are you living now? And what are you doing?

We live in Carlsbad. I now have my own private practice doing internal medicine. I handle the sicker, more complicated cases in a hospital. I do everything but deliver babies and treat kids.  I have 2 boys: Mitch, 8 years old and starting 3rd grade; and Matt, 6 years old and starting 1st grade. We go surfing, swimming, mountain-biking, and camping together. I’m also coaching baseball and soccer teams and I volunteer with Indian Guides.
My folks are retired, still living in Dana Point and my sister, Keri, is a teacher in Mission Viejo with 2 little girls of her own.

Any regrets?

I would have spent more time playing and less time studying, especially Senior year. And I maybe I should have taken some time off between high school and college. I would have hung out at the beach more with friends, surfed, and partied more.

Any comments for classmates approaching you at the reunion?

I would hope now we’re outside the setting of high school, people could come up to me not thinking of me as an authority figure. I’m just one of the guys.