Like many of our current Saints, Ryan Farrar finished high school — in Hugoton — with a hefty list of college credits, and spent one short year at Seward to finish his associate degree.

He was an early adopter of the approach that has become more and more popular among high schoolers two decades later: start early, and succeed. The ITV classes he took were pre-digital, but they were “high tech stuff.” Ryan accumulated credits in English, government and Spanish. Meanwhile, he locked onto a clear vision of what he wanted to do in life: optometry.

But there was one problem. Math. And SCCC solved that for him. Actually, SCCC instructor Joe Anderson who was “phenomenal. He was the first teacher who made math come alive for me and made it a pleasure to learn math, and to do it — and it stuck.” As it turned out, trigonometry is a key part of Farrar’s work as an optometrist. He also recalls intense learning in Mr. Bolton’s chemistry class. All of it prepared him for the University of Kansas where he earned a bachelor’s and Northwestern Oklahoma State, where he completed optometry training.

Dr. Ryan Farrar, optometrist

Besides taking care of vision needs for adults and children at Jury & Farrar in Liberal, Farrar has contributed countless hours to his community. With his wife, Norma Valles, Farrar is active in St. Anthony Church, helped found the Bright Futures organization that matches children and families in need with philanthropic and civic groups, in cooperation with schools, and has volunteered on too many committees to list. As part of the Blue Ribbon Panel and community focus group for the USD 480 bond issue that passed with a stunning 78% approval rate at the polls, Farrar set up the community for success in future generations — starting with his own children, and those to come.

These days, he focuses the lion’s share of his energy on issues and causes connected to his three children, Diana, Anthony, and Bella.

Farrar serves on our alumni advisory board and as an active member of the SCCC Foundation board. We’re thankful for him, as Saint, volunteer, and community member.

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