Among students, Mr. Richard Arnold is known for the many interesting stories he has to tell. Mr. Richard Arnold is an experienced history teacher, and has been teaching at Taipei American School (TAS) for 54 years—that’s nearly two generations! Additionally, he is also an original sponsor of the Orphanage Club, which is the school’s oldest and largest student-run club. OC does many different community service activities related to orphans and underprivileged children. Although Mr. Arnold is very busy, he loves connecting with students. And like many other students, once you speak with him, you’ll find that he’s an incredible conversationalist with a plethora of stories to share.

Mr. Arnold is a dedicated teacher, and, as a result, is quite busy. He describes the Orphanage Club projects he sponsors as “endless.” But like everyone else, he has his interests: he loves to meet up with local friends and alumni, go on walks and read non-fiction. His love for reading can be seen through the countless books in his office.

Mr. Arnold grew up in upstate New York and says that novels such as “The Underground Railroad” were very significant during his childhood, which made him interested in literature describing Black experiences. He also loves to read news articles describing discoveries about history. “Our history’s always being revised, and there’s always something new,” said Mr. Arnold.

Given his passion for history, Mr. Arnold surprisingly entered college with an undecided major and was on track to becoming a mathematics teacher. However, his history teacher, a Brown University graduate and World War II veteran, urged him to consider teaching history. At this time, Mr. Arnold was unsure.

But when Mr. Arnold tried teaching for the first time, he found that he actually liked the job. He went on to get a master’s degree and began to teach to make some money. “[He] would be back in six months because [he] was so impatient. The kids are not going to tolerate [him],” is what the people around him said. But now, he has been teaching for 58 years.

During his teaching career in America, Mr. Arnold protested against violence, the war in Vietnam and advocated for the rights of Black Americans But when the National Guard killed unarmed, protesting students, he was discouraged and decided to  leave. So, he came to TAS in 1970. What was meant to be a one-year leave, turned into a two-year leave, and he ended up staying in Taiwan and has been teaching here ever since.

As someone who has been teaching at TAS even before many of our parents were born, Mr. Arnold has much to say about TAS and how it has changed over the years. “I don’t think in the 1970s and 1980s, most people were ever concerned about their grade point average,” said Mr. Arnold. He says that students were excited about classes and were happier before, and how TAS students have become more competitive.

“Make sure you enjoy life,” said Mr. Arnold. “You’re only going to be a teenager once. And the pressures later on in life are going to be tremendous.” He says that things like Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, or where you attend college are not important. “How happy are you? Do you really appreciate what you have?” Mr. Arnold implores. “If you’re stuck in my Advanced Placement (AP) class I often say how lucky we are to be here. We’re not in Gaza. We’re not in Ukraine. We have enough food. We have all the advantages we can have, basically. And so, think about what makes you happy. And also, what can you do to make the world better because we’re so blessed.”

Although Mr. Arnold is an incredibly accomplished individual, with experience in advocacy, teaching, and many other fields, he still emphasizes the importance of not overworking yourself in high school. So, take this advice, and remember to pursue what you love, enjoy yourself during school, and advocate for others and the world.